The Indonesian Ministry of Environment has initiated criminal and civil accountability procedures regarding the West Cisadane River pollution incident. The source of the pollution points to a pesticide warehouse fire in South Tangerang, with the entity involved being PT Biotek Saranatama.
Minister of Environment Siti Nurbaya Bakar, attending the clean-up operation in Pasar Anyar, Tangerang, stated that anyone responsible for causing pollution will be held accountable according to the law without leniency.
She said the government will file both civil and criminal lawsuits against the management of the involved company in accordance with relevant statutes. Criminal liability will be pursued under the provisions of the 2009 Law No. 32 on Environmental Protection and Management, in cooperation with the South Tangerang police.
She said the government will file both civil and criminal lawsuits against the management of the involved company in accordance with relevant statutes. Criminal liability will be pursued under the provisions of the 2009 Law No. 32 on Environmental Protection and Management, in cooperation with the South Tangerang police.
As for civil compensation claims, the Ministry of Environment is awaiting experts to complete water sampling and multiple environmental parameter analyses, expected to take about three weeks, to clarify the scope and extent of the pollution and the damage caused.
Investigations have shown that the polluted pesticide liquid entered the Jeleret River and flowed into the West Cisadane River, affecting approximately 22.5 kilometers of river stretch and impacting areas of South Tangerang City, Tangerang City, and Tangerang Regency. The incident occurred in the Tangerang Techno Park area.
The Minister also cautioned industry players that improper storage and handling of chemicals and pesticides can lead to severe consequences and extremely high risks, urging them to raise safety and disaster prevention awareness to prevent similar accidents from happening again.