Enviro News Asia, Sumatera Selatan – The Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) has conducted an environmental enforcement inspection and sealed parts of the PT Bintang Harapan Palma concession in Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI), South Sumatra, following repeated land fires in the area.
The inspection was carried out from August 11–15, 2026, following the detection of several hotspots in and around the company’s concession. The operation was conducted under the direction of Environment Minister and Head of BPLH Moh Jumhur Hidayat and led by the Deputy for Environmental Law Enforcement (GAKKUM LH), Rizal Irawan.
The inspection aimed to verify conditions on the ground, identify the extent and locations affected by the fires, and assess the company’s compliance and environmental responsibilities within its concession area.
According to the field investigation, authorities identified two separate fire locations between late July and early August 2026. The first fire occurred from July 27–29 and affected approximately 2.08 hectares of community-owned land and 1.77 hectares within the company’s cultivation rights area (HGU).
A second fire occurred from August 4–8 in a company concession area bordering the PT Bumi Mekar Hijau concession. The affected area was estimated at approximately 454 hectares.
KLH/BPLH considers the findings significant because fires have repeatedly occurred in areas associated with the company’s concession. A land fire had previously occurred within the PT Bintang Harapan Palma concession in 2023, for which administrative sanctions and a civil lawsuit had been imposed.
Deputy GAKKUM LH Rizal Irawan said fires occurring inside or around concession areas must not be treated as ordinary incidents. Authorities will examine environmental management practices and the corporation’s responsibility to prevent, control, and contain fires within areas under its responsibility.
Environmental officers are continuing to collect and examine evidence concerning the fires, including land conditions and factors that may have contributed to the incidents. The findings will serve as the basis for determining further legal enforcement measures.
The installation of monitoring signs and environmental enforcement lines was carried out as part of the supervision process to secure the affected locations and support further investigation. KLH/BPLH stated that any confirmed environmental violations would be addressed in accordance with applicable regulations.
The ministry emphasized that enforcement against land fires in concession areas is part of broader efforts to strengthen environmental protection and prevent recurring fires. The investigation remains ongoing, with further legal action to be determined based on evidence collected in the field.
KLH/BPLH stated that three environmental enforcement instruments—administrative sanctions, criminal proceedings, and civil action—may be applied against parties proven responsible for repeated land burning. (*)
