Dharmasraya officials investigate illegal oil palm planting on burned forest land

Authorities in Dharmasraya Regency, West Sumatra, have discovered that 5.9 hectares of land in the Bukit Lantak area of Timpeh District have been planted with oil palm. The land, located within a Limited Production Forest (HPT) zone, had previously been destroyed by forest and land fires in mid-2026.

Despite the local government installing warning signs to prevent further land exploitation and the police cordoning off the area, officials found that oil palm seedlings, approximately two weeks old, had already been planted. Dharmasraya Regent Annisa Suci Ramadhani and the Dharmasraya Police have stated that the incident will be investigated legally to address the unauthorized use of the forest area.

The local government is currently focusing on forest recovery through reforestation and has established task forces in every village to prevent future forest fires. While recent data from the SiPongi application shows no active hotspots in the region since late September, officials continue to urge the public to avoid land clearing through burning.