“The state cannot remain silent when the environment is damaged and the people are left to bear the consequences alone,” Nurofiq said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday.
The minister made the remarks after the government, through the Ministry of Environment, officially filed a Rp4.8 trillion civil lawsuit, or around US$283 million, against six companies suspected of causing extensive environmental damage in North Sumatra.
The lawsuit covers environmental damage in three affected areas, North Tapanuli District, Central Tapanuli District, and South Tapanuli District, with a primary focus on ecosystem restoration in the Garoga and Batang Toru river basins.
Demonstrating its seriousness, the ministry on Thursday, Jan. 15, simultaneously filed lawsuits through several courts, including the Medan City District Court for two companies, the Central Jakarta District Court for one company, and the South Jakarta District Court for three others.
Based on field monitoring and in-depth technical studies, the activities of the six companies were found to have caused environmental damage across an area of 2,516.39 hectares.
For the damages, the ministry is seeking Rp4.8 trillion in compensation, consisting of Rp4.6 trillion for environmental losses and Rp178.4 billion for ecosystem restoration aimed at returning the affected areas to a proper and functional condition for local communities.
Nurofiq said the lawsuit was filed based on verified field data and expert analysis. He emphasized that the government firmly upholds the principle that those who cause environmental damage must pay, stressing that any corporation that profits from ecosystem destruction must also be responsible for restoring it.
“This sends a strong message that environmental law enforcement under the Ministry of Environment will not compromise in safeguarding every citizen’s constitutional right to a good and healthy environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ministry’s Deputy for Environmental Law Enforcement, Rizal Irawan, said the lawsuits are grounded in Article 2 of Law No. 32/2009 on Environmental Protection and Management, which emphasizes state responsibility, sustainability, prudence, and the polluter pays principle.
He added that the legal action is not merely a demand for financial compensation, but an urgent effort to reduce the risks of flooding and landslides that currently threaten communities along the Batang Toru and Garoga watersheds due to declining environmental carrying capacity.
Irawan stressed that through the civil lawsuits, the government is seeking full accountability for every inch of environmental damage caused.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna Violleta, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Primayanti
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