Indonesian police may probe coal miners over deforestation-linked floods
The Indonesian police say they might investigate coal companies for their alleged role in recent deadly floods that struck southern Borneo.
Critics accuse the companies of degrading the water catchment in South Kalimantan province through deforestation and sedimentation, which they allege amplified the impact of the rain-fueled floods.
The government, meanwhile, is under fire for issuing more permits than the previous three administrations.
Activists warn the environmental degradation in the province will only get worse under a slate of controversial deregulation measures passed by the government last year, which they say caters to coal companies at the expense of the environment.
JAKARTA The Indonesian government has denied that deforestation for oil palm plantations and coal mines contributed to a recent deadly flood in southern Borneo. At least 21 people died and more than 256,000 were affected in what President Joko Widodo has called the worst flooding in South Kalimantan province in 50 years. Environmental activists […]