Inp.polri.go.id - Batang Toru. Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has ordered all companies operating in the Batang Toru watershed in North Sumatra, including palm oil, mining, and hydropower firms, to suspend activities starting 6 December 2025  for a mandatory environmental audit. 

“All companies in the upstream Batang Toru watershed must halt operations and undergo an environmental audit. They have been summoned for an official examination on 8 December in Jakarta,” he said on Saturday (6/12/2025), as reported by antaranews.com.

The decision followed aerial and ground inspections assessing disaster triggers and the impact of business activities on rising flood and landslide risks. Authorities visited PT Agincourt Resources, PTPN III, and PT North Sumatera Hydro Energy before deciding on a temporary shutdown.

The ministry cited extreme rainfall exceeding 300 mm per day and evidence of large-scale land clearing. Officials warned that legal action, including criminal proceedings, could follow if violations are confirmed. Oversight of environmental permits and spatial compliance will be tightened across steep slopes and upstream river zones.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)