SUARA NEGERI | BANTEN — The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) held the 2024 Environmental People's Week in Padarincang, Banten, on June 5 2024. This event was attended by the environmental community and representatives of WALHI regional executives from 29 provinces as well as a network of civil society organizations.
Taking place within the Furu Arroudhotul Baqiat Islamic Boarding School, this activity is an opportunity for consolidation and sharing of experiences in efforts to maintain the environment and sources of livelihood.
In his speech at the welcoming evening of the official opening of People's Week for the Environment in the courtyard of the Furu Arroudhotul Baqiat Islamic boarding school, WALHI National Executive Director, Zenzi Suhadi stated that Environment Day which falls on June 5 is always a momentum for people to gather and share experiences in fighting to defend the environment and source of livelihood.
He emphasized the importance of this year's Environmental People's Week as a serious warning for the elected government which will soon be inaugurated. According to Zenzi, the power held by the government is a mandate from the people which must be used to ensure people's safety from ecological disasters and capital expansion which destroys and monopolizes natural resources.
He warned that the current policies implemented by the government in power have accelerated environmental degradation and often ignore court orders requiring environmental restoration.
"Don't continue with the character of the government that is currently in power, implementing policies that accelerate environmental damage and disobeying court orders to carry out environmental restoration," stressed Zenzi in his statement received by the editors, Wednesday (5/6).
This message is intended for the elected government to learn from previous mistakes and be more committed to environmental protection and people's welfare.
Zenzi reminded that in July 2019, WALHI together with 32 residents sued President Joko Widodo, the Minister of Environment and Forestry, the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister of Health, as well as the Governor of DKI Jakarta, the Governor of Banten and the Governor of West Java.
On September 16 2021, the judge stated that the defendants in this case had committed unlawful acts related to handling air pollution.
In his decision, the judge ordered President Joko Widodo to set national ambient air quality standards and ordered the Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, to supervise the relevant governors in inventorying cross-border provincial emissions.
“But what happened? Instead of implementing the court's decision, the government instead filed an appeal at the cassation level. And as a result, the High Court and Supreme Court strengthened the court's decision. This means that there is no other choice, the government must immediately carry out legal orders. "Unfortunately, until we held this evening's gathering for the People's Week, the defendants were still stupid, they had not carried out the court's orders at all," said Zenzi.
The most terrifying impact of the government's neglect in environmental management is that casualties continue to fall. In this province, specifically in Suralaya, Cilegon Regency, the government is building a Steam Power Plant (PLTU) that uses coal energy.
This PLTU, which was built in 1984, is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution that has blackened Jakarta. Research results from the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) stated that pollution from coal-fired power plants causes 1,470 deaths every year and causes health losses of up to IDR 14.2 trillion.
"However, we also need to know that Banten, which is the host this year, cannot be separated from the persistence of the Padarincang people in defending their land from capital expansion. Here industrial activities that destroy and monopolize natural resources have no place. "Therefore, residents are united to expel Danone which wants to monopolize water," he said.
He appealed to the public to block the construction of a Geothermal Power Plant which is a National Strategic Project. The reason is, this will create many holes and suck heat from the bowels of the earth.
"And tonight for the next two days, Padarincang residents will unite to prepare a place and food for community representatives from 29 provinces to gather and build strength to realize ecological justice," concluded Zenzi. (fia)
