REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PANGKALPINANG -- The Executive Director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) based in Bangka Belitung, Ratno Budi said he has evaluated the reclamation process in ex-mining areas and concluded that it had failed to be implemented, owing to a lack of willingness on the part of the PT Timah Corporation.

"The reclamation process conducted by PT Timah in 2010 has not achieved its target. The corporation has only covered 12.58 percent or 201.04 hectares under tree planting in an ex-mining area," Ratno revealed on Tuesday.

He further stated that PT Timah still needed to reclaim 1,579.82 hectares of ex-mining land. However, the corporation had only succeeded in flattening 593.22 hectares or 37.13 percent of the area.

"PT Timah has failed to reclaim ex-mining areas that can trigger environmental problems and spread diseases among people in the area," Ratno stated.

Ratno said water would still erode the land as no erosion canal existed and water channels in the land belonged to the public.

"Many mounds have been found in ex-mining areas that have hampered maintenance accessibility, monitoring efforts, with plantation health worsening," Ratno said.

The reclamation process had failed not only due to unconventional tin miners, but also because of the regional government failing to monitor the corporation.

WALHI also noted that only 8,662.20 hectares of the total 19,207.15 hectares of land had been successfully reclaimed since 2007.

"Bangka is still experiencing reclamation problems due to the mining corporation's lack of awareness about replanting trees in the ex-mining area," Ratno pointed out.

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