KOPIPA Urges East Java Provincial Government and Minister of Public Works to Comply with Supreme Court Decision April 2024

Surabaya (17/02) –The Indonesian Fish and Water Lovers Community (KOPIPA) regrets the attitude of the East Java Provincial Government and the PUPR Ministry who ignore the preservation of fish in the Brantas River. In the "River Patrol" activity, KOPIPA found more than 1000 illegal buildings on the banks of the Brantas River which produce liquid waste and plastic waste that is directly dumped into the river, worsening pollution.

As a form of protest against the worsening condition of the Brantas River due to industrial and domestic waste pollution, KOPIPA held a theatrical action entitled “Refusing to Go extinct” in the Kali Mas River, Surabaya. This action highlighted the loss of local fish species and the threat to the river ecosystem as a whole. A total of 30 environmental activists from various backgrounds, including students majoring in Fisheries Resource Management at Brawijaya University and Marine Science at Sunan Ampel State Islamic University (UIN) Surabaya, took part in this action. As a symbol of fish extinction, KOPIPA brought a replica of a six-meter-long fish floating in the Kali Mas River, and unfurled a “Refusing to Go extinct” poster to highlight the increasingly critical condition of the waters.

Serious Threats to the Brantas River Ecosystem

The Brantas River is the main water source for millions of East Java residents, but is now in a worrying condition. Based on water quality monitoring data, more than 70% of the river area has been polluted by industrial and domestic waste. One of the main findings is the concentration of ammonia reaching 3.00 ppm around the liquid waste outlet of the flavoring industry in Jombang, far above the quality standard of 0.1 ppm or 30 times higher than the safe limit.

"The concentration of ammonia in industrial waste discharged into the Brantas River exceeds the quality standard. This will have a serious impact on public health, especially since this river is the raw material for the Regional Drinking Water Company (PDAM). People who consume PDAM water from the Brantas River are at risk of experiencing digestive system disorders, impaired kidney and liver function, and long-term exposure that poses a carcinogenic risk," said Alaika Rahmatullah, coordinator of the River Patrol.

Another finding in the River Patrol activity, one of the large industries that still contributes to the pollution of the Brantas River is PT Tjiwi Kimia, which is known to discharge liquid waste with striking physical characteristics: dark brown, cloudy, pungent odor, and high temperature. Waste with this condition has the potential to cause a decrease in dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in water, disrupt the metabolism of river biota, and accelerate the eutrophication process which has the potential to trigger an explosion of toxic algae growth. In addition, high temperatures from industrial waste can disrupt the thermal balance of aquatic ecosystems, cause stress to fish and other aquatic organisms, and accelerate the rate of fish extinction.

Based on data from Onlimo KLHK on February 15, 2025, the Brantas River in Kediri City was heavily polluted due to high levels of ammonia reaching 13.56 ppm, BOD reaching 7.36 ppm, and TSS reaching 6.22 ppm. The pollution index reached 10.02 in the Brantas River in Kediri City and was even red, meaning it was dangerous.

"This pollution is also exacerbated by microplastic contamination in the waters. Ecoton research shows that the Brantas River is one of the rivers with the highest levels of microplastic pollution in Indonesia, with 636 particles per 100 liters of water, which has a direct impact on the food chain, the health of aquatic ecosystems and humans," said Rafika Aprilianti, head of the Ecoton Laboratory.

Upper River Deforestation Accelerates Crisis

In addition to pollution, the upstream area of ​​the Brantas River in Batu City is experiencing massive deforestation. According to records from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), the upstream Brantas River Basin Area (DAS) is in critical condition, with critical land area reaching 925 hectares in forest areas and 1,899 hectares outside forest areas. This condition causes the erosion rate to increase to 2,268 tons per hectare per year, an increase of around 300%. In addition, the criticality of the land has also had an impact on the reduction in the number of springs in Batu City, from 109 to only 57 springs.

"One of the causes of the criticality of the Brantas Watershed is the conversion of forest areas, especially protected areas that have been converted into agricultural land. In addition, riparian ecosystems that should be filled with tree vegetation have now been converted into settlements," said Imanuel, a student of Fisheries Resource Management at Brawijaya University.

Imanuel also added that deforestation has damaged the habitat of local fish that were previously indicators of the health of the river ecosystem. Several endemic fish species that were once abundant are now increasingly difficult to find, indicating a worsening ecosystem imbalance.

Government Must Comply with Court Decisions

Environmental activists also urged the government to comply with and respect the court's decision regarding the mass fish deaths due to negligence in river supervision and management. The Supreme Court's decision number 1190K/PDT/2024 dated April 30, 2024 stated that it rejected the cassation filed by the Governor of East Java and the Minister of PUPR of the Republic of Indonesia.

"Until now, there have been no concrete steps that show the government's seriousness in following up on the decision. The government seems to be stalling and looking for justification, instead of introspecting," said Jofan Ahmad, KOPIPA Coordinator.

The repeated mass fish death cases are clear evidence of the government's negligence in managing the river ecosystem. This condition should be a loud alarm for the authorities that the current river pollution is a major disaster for the future.

KOPIPA's Demands: Immediately Restore the Brantas River

Through this action, KOPIPA urges the government to immediately take concrete steps in restoring the Brantas River. The demands submitted include:

1. The government must tighten regulations on industrial waste disposal and impose strict sanctions on companies that pollute rivers without proper treatment.
2. Improving the water quality monitoring system transparently, by installing water quality monitoring equipment accompanied by CCTV that can be accessed in real-time by the public.
3. Restoring river ecosystems through reforestation of upstream areas, as well as taking strict action against deforestation practices that worsen river conditions.

Establish a special river monitoring task force involving civil society and academics in monitoring water management policies