The Kampar regency administration's decision to clamp down on dozens of illegal gold mines operating along Singingi River has been positively greeted by people living in five villages in Lipat Kain subdistrict.

A local resident, Zainuddin, said the presence of the illegal gold mines had caused public apprehension over the last year.

"We haven't eaten fish from the river, despite the fact that fishing is one of the local people's means of livelihood," Zainuddin said.

"The river has become silted and murky due to the arbitrary dumping of sand and rocks along the river by miners. Worst still, many residents along a 5-km stretch of the river have complained of skin illnesses since the activity has commenced operating," he said.

According to Zainuddin, the illegal miners, who generally come from Pati in Central Java, and Muarobungo in Jambi, said local residents were also engaged in the activity, albeit a few.

"Many residents have directly felt the impacts of the illegal practice. They raided the mines previously, but the mines remain operating. We are thankful for the local administration's response to complaints," said Zainuddin, who earns a living as a boat operator.

A 300-strong joint team, directly led by Kampar Regent Burhanuddin, conducted raids on the gold mines from Monday through to Wednesday.

The team has already seized 62 rafts, 26 boats, 40 machines and 27 pipes used by the miners to pump gold particles from the river bed without resistance. The miners had already left the sites after a warning was issued by the Kampar administration last week, demanding they stop operating by June 16 at the latest.

An angry crowd set fire to two wooden vessels tied under a bridge separating Kampar and Kuantan Sengingi regencies. However, this behavior did not last long as the regent and his team arrived after combing the river looking for other mines.

"The crowd was unrelenting as they burned the vessels in the presence of police," said Zainuddin.

Burhanuddin said the closure on illegal gold mines was aimed at preventing further environmental damage and clashes among residents and miners.

Zainuddin's office will close 62 mining sites along the Sengingi River, he said.

"We will no longer tolerate them because we have issued a notice earlier. We are committed to eradicating them, regardless of who is behind them. Conflicts will prevail if we allow them to remain open," said Burhanuddin.

Burhanuddin added the operation would be extended to the Tesso Nillo River in Gunung Sahilan district. He called on the Singingi regency administration to hold a similar operation in the upper reaches of Singingi River to free it from pollutants.

"The river ecosystem has been damaged, the fish habitat lost and people's health is at risk due to the lack of potable water," he said.

Kampar Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. MS Muttaqin said no suspects were currently being detained. He said police would continue investigations and that suspects could be charged with violating an environmental law, facing up to 10 years in prison and a Rp 500 million (approximately US$55,000) fine.

"The seized evidence will be immediately sent to Bangkinang, capital of Kampar," he said.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment executive director in Riau, Jhony Setiawan Mundung, supports the closure of illegal gold mines posing severe risks toward the preservation of Kampar river delta area.

He urged the Kampar administration to immediately enact a specific ordinance on the environment, including stiff sanctions against illegal miners.

"Decisiveness is called for to deter illegal miners," Muttaqin said.