Pantan Cuaca, Gayo Lues — The first sighting came at dusk: murky greyish water with a metallic sheen pooled quietly in a clearing deep in the forest of Pantan Cuaca. The muddy liquid was slowly trickling toward a narrow stream that eventually flowed into Kenyaran village. Locals noticed something different. The water had changed—cloudy, foul-smelling, and no longer safe.
The water source is suspected to originate from drilling activity conducted by PT Gayo Mineral Resources (GMR), a gold mining company operating in the heart of Gayo Lues’s protected forest. Visual evidence shows runoff from open drill holes left uncontained, with no visible sedimentation tanks or waste control systems. In several locations, thick mud appeared to spill freely into the soil and nearby waterways.
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At the exploration site, there was no sign of any protective infrastructure for wastewater discharge. No containment ponds, no filtration, no waste management system. Water mixed with drilling sediment is suspected to flow directly into tributaries that supply local communities. The situation has raised public concern about possible contamination from chemicals or heavy metals used or released during the drilling process.
“We are deeply concerned. That polluted water not only damages ecosystems but also threatens the safety of villagers who rely on the river,” said Abdiansyah, Secretary of the Leuser Aceh Foundation, in an interview on Friday, July 25, 2025. He stressed that PT GMR’s exploration cannot rely solely on formal permits but must also be monitored for on-the-ground impact.
PT GMR holds an official exploration permit issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) under Decree No. 263/2025, allowing the use of protected forest areas for drilling purposes. However, based on an official map released in April, the company’s operational area lies directly within forest zones designated as protected forest, limited production forest, and even near conservation areas.
“That’s a watershed zone. It should be prioritized for protection, not turned into a gold exploration site,” Abdiansyah added. He warned that unless authorities intervene, the environmental damage could become irreversible.
Residents in Kenyaran and other downstream villages say they’re increasingly worried about the condition of the river. “Sometimes the water turns milky white, sometimes green, and smells like rust. We’re afraid to drink or bathe in it,” said one resident, who asked not to be named. Some villagers have begun fetching water from deeper into the forest, no longer trusting the river near their homes.
An environmental expert warned that in any exploration activity, discharged drilling water must be handled with strict controls, as it may carry active minerals and trace metals from underground. “If the drill reaches sulfide layers, it could release arsenic or mercury into the water,” the expert explained.
As of this report, PT GMR has not provided any official statement. Messages and calls to the company’s listed contact went unanswered. The Gayo Lues District Environmental Agency also has not issued a public response, despite having received reports from villagers over two weeks ago.
Abdiansyah stated that the Leuser Aceh Foundation is preparing to file a formal report with the Ministry and the Indonesian Ombudsman. “We need an independent environmental audit. If waste leakage is confirmed, this could constitute a serious violation—and potentially a criminal offense,” he said.
Amid the whir of drills and promises of gold beneath the Gayo Lues forest floor, people downstream now stare uneasily at the murky water flowing into their fields and wells. There’s no gold in sight—only mud.
