Balikpapan, East Kalimantan (ANTARA) –
The Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN) reported that 1,600 hectares of forest and land in the IKN area were burned from July to October 2026, allegedly due to deliberate land-clearing activities by a palm oil company, which has faced administrative sanctions.
Myrna Asnawati Safitri, OIKN Deputy for Environment and Natural Resources, said the suspicion was supported by field mapping, which showed that the fires followed a distinct pattern of spread, forming rectangular or elongated shapes rather than occurring randomly.
“Even in several locations after the fires, new plant seedlings, such as oil palm and banana trees, were found. This pattern of cutting vegetation and then burning it is a common and recurring tactic,” she explained on Saturday.
Of the 1,600 hectares of delineated land within the IKN area affected by fires, approximately 900 to 1,000 hectares were located within the Bukit Soeharto Forest Park (Tahura).
Meanwhile, around 500 hectares were within the company’s concession area, while the remaining burned areas were scattered across privately owned land, Mryna said.
For perpetrators identified in the field, the authority has coordinated with law enforcement officials, with the investigation currently being handled by the police, she added.
Regarding private sector involvement, Myrna said her office imposed an initial administrative sanction in the form of government coercion on PT AJP, a palm oil plantation company whose entire operational area is located within the IKN.
According to her, the sanction followed OIKN’s monitoring of hotspots through satellite imagery since early August, as well as field inspections confirming that the fires occurred within the company’s concession area.
As for dozens of other companies whose concession areas extend across the IKN and Kutai Kartanegara District administrative boundaries, OIKN has submitted its findings to the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Forestry for coordinated follow-up.
“We are imposing administrative sanctions in stages, beginning with written warnings and ending in government orders requiring land restoration. Failure to fulfill these obligations may result in the suspension or revocation of business permits,” she outlined.
As a long-term management measure, the OIKN is tightening field monitoring and requiring all concession holders to improve fire preparedness systems in their respective areas.
The authority is also restoring burned areas through massive reforestation with endemic trees to restore hydrological functions and preserve biodiversity in Indonesia.
Related news: OIKN joins tree planting to restore fire-hit forest in Nusantara
Related news: IKN development unaffected by East Kalimantan forest fires, OIKN says
Related news: Indonesia pitches Kalimantan as new growth hub at Borneo forum
Translator: Arumanto/Novi Abdi, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2026