KUNDUR -- PT Timah Tbk conducts sustainable environmental management in the company's operational areas. Environmental management efforts are integrated with the company's reclamation program.
For example, in the Riau Islands Province, PT Timah Tbk carries out environmental management by installing abrasion barriers, planting mangroves, and monitoring seawater quality.
In 2022, PT Timah Tbk will plant 5000 mangrove trunks in the Riau Archipelago Province. This mangrove planting is an effort to maintain the ecosystem and prevent abrasion. In addition to planting, PT Timah Tbk also carries out maintenance and replanting of mangroves.
In line with that, to prevent abrasion, PT Timah Tbk has also built a 400-meter-long abrasion barrier on the coast. The abrasion retainers were installed in three locations, such as in Gemuruh Village for 100 meters, Hamlet III Springs, Kundur Village, Kundur Barat District, and 100 meters in Pongkar Village, Tebing District, Karimun Regency.
The community has felt the benefits of this abrasion installation, this is as stated by Erwin, one of the residents of Gemuruh Village who said that the existence of this abrasion barrier could minimize the occurrence of abrasion on the shoreline.
"I am very happy with the program from the Company such as planting mangroves and installing abrasion containment because it can reduce the impact of abrasion on the shoreline. Hopefully, this can continue because it is very good and useful," he said.
Similarly, one of the fishermen in Dusun III Mata Air Kundur Village, Jarfadli, said that this abrasion barrier makes them feel calmer because their house is very close to the beach.
"When the tide is high, it can usually rise to the house, but now the abrasion containment has been installed, hopefully, the water will not rise again and my family and I are also safer," he said.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Environment Agency of Karimun Regency, Rita, said that the installation of abrasion containment is very good and is a quick way to minimize the occurrence of abrasion due to tides.
"Planting mangroves is the best way to reduce abrasion and there are also many benefits from planting mangroves such as good carbon dioxide absorbers, as a place for marine life such as shrimp, crabs and small fish, but mangrove planting takes a long time," he explained.
Meanwhile, the Kundur Barat Sub-district Head, Khaidir, appreciated PT Timah for caring about the environment by carrying out mangrove planting activities and also installing abrasion containment.
"The installation of abrasion containment on the shoreline is very good, especially if the community can manage it into a new tourist and culinary location, as we see today on Teluk Dalam Beach, Kundur Village," he said.
