TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Hundreds of hectares of farmland owned by farmers in a social forestry area in Pancer Hamlet, Sumberagung Village, Pesanggaran District, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, are at risk of damage due to illegal gold mining activities on Mount Lompongan.
The illegal mining operations, which use cyanide leaching techniques to extract gold, have caused sediment buildup in nearby rivers and triggered flooding during the rainy season, leaving residents' agricultural land submerged.
Edi Lasmono, a local farmer figure from Sumberagung Village, said farmers have long been concerned about the impact of the illegal mining activities but have struggled to stop them.
"Their reason is that the miners are also trying to make a living," Edi told Tempo on Tuesday morning, July 14, 2026.
Farmers Warn of Mining Impact on Farmland
Edi said there are currently three or four locations where gold mining is carried out using the cyanide leaching method.
"The miners pump water into the ground, then filter it using carpets. The remaining soft sediment is discharged into the river and flows downstream, damaging farmland," he said.
According to Edi, around 50 hectares of farmland have already been affected by sediment from the mining activities. However, he warned that the potential impact could be much wider because hundreds of hectares of farmland are located downstream from the mining sites.
"There are actually hundreds of hectares of farmland below," he said.
Around three weeks ago, Edi and other farmers visited the mining sites to monitor the activities. The farmers cleaned the embankments or dams built by miners to hold water used in the cyanide leaching process.
Edi said the farmers did not confiscate the miners' jet pumps or equipment. Instead, they only temporarily suspended their operation.
Farmers Say Authorities Have Yet to Act
Edi criticized the lack of action from law enforcement authorities despite the threat posed by illegal mining activities to residents' farmland.
"Last April, during the rainy season, there was flooding that damaged residents' farmland," he said.
The illegal gold mining activities had previously been reported to the Directorate General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2022.
"At that time, a representative from Surabaya came to the site. However, after that, there was no action taken," Edi said.
Farmers have recently submitted a complaint letter to Commission II of the Banyuwangi Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), which oversees relevant sectors.
"However, there has been no response regarding when we can meet with them to report the illegal gold mining activities threatening residents' farmland," he said.
Acting Head of the Banyuwangi Environmental Agency Bayu Hadiyanto could not be reached for confirmation regarding the illegal mining activities and their alleged impact on farmland in Sumberagung Village.
As of publication, messages sent by Tempo requesting clarification had not received a response.
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