PALMOILMAGAZINE, PONTIANAK – In August 2023, a total of 7,376 hotspots were detected across 235 palm oil concession areas and industrial plantation forests (IPF) in West Kalimantan Province. During the period from August 1st to August 17th, 2023, there were approximately 3,275 hotspots within palm oil concession areas and about 1,675 in IPF concession areas. However, by the end of August 2023, the number of hotspots had significantly increased to 7,376.
The additional hotspots recorded from August 18th to August 31st, 2023, amounted to 1,726 hotspots in palm oil concession areas and 700 hotspots in IPF. Interestingly, the hotspots observed during the first half of August (1st to 17th) exceeded those reported for the latter half of the month (18th to 31st).
According to an official statement from Walhi West Kalimantan to Palmoilmagazine.com on Monday, September 4, 2023, the top ten hotspot contributors within palm oil concession areas for the entire month of August 2023 were as follows: PT. PN XIII Parindu 276 hotspots, PT. Daya Landak Plantation 124 hotspots, PT. Arvena Sepakat 167 hotspots, PT. Sumatera Makmur Lestari 119 hotspots, PT. Kebun Ganda Prima 118 hotspots, PT. Sebukit Internusa 116 hotspots, PT. Sime Agro Indo 89 hotspots, PT. Mitra Austral Sejahtera 86 hotspots, PT. Prana Indah Gemilang 86 hotspots, PT. Agri Sentral Lestari 62 hotspots.
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The hotspots in IPF in the same period were in PT. Finnantara Intiga 676 hotspots, PT. Prima Bumi Sentosa 255 hotspots, PT. Mahkota Rimba Utama 238 hotspots, PT. Nitiyasa Idola 168 hotspots, PT. Wana Hijau Pesaguan 135 hotspots, PT. Boma Plantation 118 hotspots, PT. Mayawana Persada 96 hotspots, PT. Bumi Mekar Hijau 79 hotspots, PT. Inhutani III Nanga Pinoh 77 hotspots, and PT. Mitra Jaya Nusaindah 76 hotspots.
“The numbers of hotspots have something to do with situation change with air pollution standard index (APSU) in each period. In the day of Indonesian Independence – Day the 78th, APSU in the capital city of West Kalimantan reached 303 at PM 2.5 with danger category and on 23 August 2023 the index was reaching 273 or in unhealthy category. By the late of August 2023, the index tended to decrease 76 at PM 2.5 or medium category,” Study and Campaign Division of Walhi West Kalimantan, Hendrikus Adam noted.
On 17 August 2023 the hotspots kept increasing in numbers. Besides the hotspots were in many palm oil concession areas and IPF according to each district.
It is predicted, fire in concession areas reached 7.376 hotspots. Until now the government and law officers responded differently from the previous years. In 2018 and 2019, for instance, Ministry of Environment and Forestry directly sealed (the companies) but in this period, there is no palm oil concession areas have been legally processed. While the people who were involved in fire in the forest and areas, the officials directly and legally processed them.
“It is unusual that those in charge of a business when fire was assumed to happen in their concession, but there is no legal process. It seems there is different treatment if people who might burn (forest and areas) were directly getting legal process. This is bad to get law enforcement about the fire in the forest and areas in this province,” he said.
He continued, this bad action reinforced our assumption that ‘law enforcement is selective’ and it is still shown from the hoped institutions. That is why fair law enforcement in fire case by law officials is not something to hope for. This should be a serious notice for president and police chief.
“There is no breakthrough from the law officials that we should be proud of if they are brave only to get legal process for the people but very reluctant to do the same for any corporate where there might be fire (in their concession areas),” Adam said. (T2)
