Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stated in Jakarta on Monday that he had requested that relevant agencies conduct a review of the environmental approvals.
"We will also review all the approvals. We will use the tropical cyclone condition as a baseline for rainfall. This means that all environmental assessments must be above that capacity," Nurofiq said.
He specifically stated that the KLH will summon eight companies operating in the Batang Toru River Basin to provide further explanation regarding their activities in the area and to trace the logs swept away by the flood in Sumatra.
With initial verification data and the necessary data, his team will take the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence of flooding and landslides.
"Whether it's a suspension of activities or something like that, because this is indeed a disaster. Someone must be held accountable for the incident," he explained.
He acknowledged the continued inability to detect potential disasters caused by climate change, including the disaster in Sumatra, which was influenced by Tropical Cyclone Senyar, a rare phenomenon where a cyclone forms near the equator.
He hopes that the disaster will serve as a lesson to prevent a recurrence, including by ensuring the readiness of the environmental carrying capacity and resilience.
Previously, floods and landslides have occurred in several areas in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra in recent days.
According to data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), as of Monday morning (Dec 1), the death toll in the three affected areas had reached 442.
President Prabowo Subianto himself visited the affected areas today. Weather modification operations are also being carried out by the government in the Sumatra region to reduce rainfall in the region.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna Violleta, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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