The Bangka Belitung Islands have many pits that were ex-tin mines or under. Some of them are used as tourist sites, right?
“The location of ex-mining excavations should be reclaimed, in accordance with applicable laws. Every IUP and IUPK owner has an obligation to provide reclamation guarantee funds and post-mining guarantees and carry out reclamation according to a plan that has been approved by the government," said Muhammad Rizza Muftiadi from the Simbang Institute to Mongabay Indonesia, Saturday [12/02/2022].
"So, in my opinion, under being used as a tourist location, let alone called ecotourism, is a form of the irresponsibility of IUP, IUPK, and local government owners in reclamation of ex-mining land," he continued.
Rizza explained, who is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Agriculture, Fisheries and Biology [FPPB], Bangka Belitung University, that reclamation is carried out to restore the condition of the land or former mining locations to their pre-exploitation condition. Good conditions in terms of soil structure, community, abundance and diversity of organisms that live in the location, or to be as before before exploitation.
Reclamation is carried out in accordance with applicable laws, such as Law No. 3 of 2020 concerning Minerba and Coal Mining, as well as Regulation of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources No. 07 of 2014 concerning the Implementation of Reclamation and Post-mining in Mineral and Coal Mining Business Activities.
The study entitled "Analysis of the Distribution of Tin Mining Activities Using Geographic Information Systems in the Bangka Region, Bangka Belitung Province" by Mustafa Luthfi and Bambang Sunarwan, published in the Journal of Technology Vol. I, Edition 13, Period July-December 2008, shows that on Bangka Island in 2006 there were 1,021 pits.
A number of these pits are scattered in the districts of Bangka [413], South Bangka [124], Central Bangka [208], West Bangka [244], and Pangkalpinang [32]. It was stated that the pits were not only in the location of the former illegal mine, but also in the KP [Mining Authority] area of PT. Timah Tbk.
In 2015, the number of pits in the Bangka Belitung Islands recorded 192 holes. Each under the area between 1-22 hectares.