Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – Fearing of landslide, citizens of Bandarlampung have been chasing away illegal gold miners in their resident areas,” said a local resident, in Bandarlampung, on Tuesday (10/3).
Umri, a local resident, said that there were no longer illegal gold miners in his home located in Sukabumi sub-district of Bandarlampung city.
“We are worried because those illegal miners have already entered our homes for almost a month. We are afraid that our house would be collapsed because of their doing,” he said adding that those miners did not have any permits from local officials and claimed to be outsiders.
Muchlas E Bastari, member of Bandarlampung parliament, said that illegal mining occurred in three housing areas,– Griye Persada, Puri Hijau, and Griya Tirtalestari –, which accounted for 23 hectares.
“These miners work on their own using profit-sharing system with the consumer,” Bastari said. “Up to date, they have managed to dig 50 meters of tunnel.”
However, he said that five miners coming from Pesawaran district did not find any potential gold. “They have only mine ten percent of gold,” he said adding that if gold was found in the location then he suggested the government to take over to increase regional budget income. Eni Muslihah