The loss of life is not only problem lingering around Indonesias mining areas. Turns out, the survival of those who are alive is also threatened.
Baharuddin is a living witness whose story could illustrate the condition of people in mining areas in East Kalimantan. He is a farmer who grows chilis in Makroman, a small village near capital Samarinda. At a first glance, his two-hectare chili farm could be a promising business. But in fact, his farm is a result of a long time struggle, after he lost an established fishery business a few years ago.
ALSO READ:
Why 'Pribumi' Just Means 'I Don't Like That Chinese Governor’
Back then, the Bugis-born farmer also developed a six-hectare fishery filled with tilapia, goldfish, and betutu fish. He enjoyed the peak of his fishery business around 2004 to 2007 when he used to get a profit of Rp150 million annually. His customers came from Tenggarong and Bontang. The fruitful betutu fish nursery he once owned was the only one in East Kalimantan.
Along with the locals, he founded Kelompok Tani Tunas Muda, a grass root organization focused on developing young farmers in Makroman. His farm also became an outdoor laboratory for agriculture students from Mulawarman University.
ALSO READ:
Why Do We Spend So Much Time Arguing On Social Media?
Deadly coal pits in East Kalimantan (Photo: doc. Jatam Kaltim)
After losing his fishery business, Baharuddin had to start all over again. He started to plant chili, but his first attempt was doomed. Refused to give up, he amassed several million and went to East Java to learn the best practices in planting chilis.
Now the chili farm is growing well, and his expertise in chili planting is one part of a long journey to re-establish his farming business. Since mining activities began a few years ago in his neighborhood, his farming and fishery business was ruined. Not only his but also similar businesses owned by local people in Makroman.
It is still fresh in Baharuddins mind, the first time he came to the place in 2000. The 1961-born can remember, Makroman was a lush and fertile transmigration settlement, which is inhabited by migrants from Java, who arrived from 1957 to 1975. At that time, lands in Makroman were so green, water ran down from springs in Mount Lampu before finally arrived at the rivers to be consumed by the residents.
According to Baharuddin, from early 2000 to 2007, all agricultural activities ran normally. Rice fields, plantations, fish ponds, and livestock can be developed properly. Makroman was also known as a prominent rice supplier to Samarinda from 1999 to 2006, Baharuddin told Mongabay.
But that wonderful dream is now ended.
While people was enjoying their prosperous life, on the other side of Makroman, the coal extraction by a mining company had begun to squirm. Big chunks of coal were seen among rice paddies, near residents houses. CV Arjuna came to Makroman in 2007, brought along a growing nightmare to its people.
Initially, they dug the coal using hoes, put them in a sack. But then the local government involved, and they started to use dump trucks to transport the coal in the midnights. Then they bought a 2-hectare land from the local, and since then their lands is continuously growing, he said.
Slowly but sure, the 24-hour mining operation started to undermine the forest around Makroman. The fortifying green hills around the region is now dredged and deforested. As a result, the flood is frequently soaked the rice fields. Rice fields also damaged due to the contaminated water. Walang sangit, rats, and monkeys are losing their habitats and started to ransack local farms. Let alone the mining dust that often destroyed the crops.
Not only Baharuddin, hundreds of people in Makroman suffered from losses. Up until today, the mining area owned by CV Arjuna is as wide as 1.452 hectare, and its position near the locals houses and farms is very detrimental for the residents. Peoples income is dramatically shrinking.
Those who cant bear with the condition ended up selling their lands to CV Arjuna. Mongabay editor Rahmadi Rahmad told Brilio, those who sold the land are often recruited by the company as blue-collars, such as security guards. The intention is to secure the companys mining activities, protecting the mines from the rage of the locals. It can be said, the company is pitting the people against each other, said Rahmadi, who spent a week in Makroman.
The temptation to sell the land, too, is experienced by Baharuddin. CV Arjuna offered no less than five billion, plus a monthly salary of Rp10 million if he agreed. His house and farmland, 10 hectares in total, is the last bastion of Makroman to protect the area from coal mining attack. When his assets are sold, Makroman will be doomed.
So many efforts are done to stop the massive exploitation by mining companies but seems most of those efforts to save the land proved futile. In the past few years, especially after 2006, the government of Samarinda has generously dispensed the mining permits. As per 2009, there are 79 known mining permits given, and the number is growing. As a result, about 71 percents of Samarindas land has turned into mining areas. Makroman is one of the victims.
The views in this article do not necessarily reflect Brilio's.