Shutdown Coal Fired Power Plants, Save Local Farmers! Darmiana's Scream from Telatang

LAHAT - The heat of the sun beats down on the farmland in Telatang Village, Merapi Subdistrict, Lahat Regency, South Sumatra. The soil is dry, and the crops that are the farmers’ livelihood appear withered. Amid this situation, the farmers’ voices are once again being heard through a protest titled “Shut Down the Coal-Fired Power Plant, Save the Farmers”.

A symbolic protest was held on Thursday (August 6, 2026) by a farmers’ group from Telatang Village, whose fields are located near the Keban Agung Coal-Fired Power Plant owned by PT Priamanaya Energi. Darmiana and her fellow farmers voiced their anxiety and concern over soil that is no longer fertile, harvests that can no longer be relied upon, and water that is no longer safe to drink.

Along with a number of farmers and residents of Muara Maung Village, took to the streets carrying banners and posters demanding that serious attention be paid to the existence of the coal-fired power plant and the impact of its operations on the environment and the community.

Darmiana explained that environmental issues are now a common part of daily life. As farmers, soil conditions and water availability are key factors that determine their success in farming.

“We’re farmers. We make our living from the land. If the land dries up and the harvest isn’t good, what else can we rely on? We hope the government will listen to our complaints,” She said.

There is also another farmer, Supri, who said that farmers are now feeling the effects of land degradation more acutely, such as stunted crops. For farmers, when soil and water conditions are unfavorable, the threat is not just crop failure or reduced yields. Their family’s livelihood is also at stake.

Darmiana said that the farmers hope the government will listen to the complaints of the people who live and farm in the surrounding area.

“We want our land to remain productive for farming. We don’t want environmental conditions to make it even harder for us to earn a living. We just want our lives as farmers to be taken into consideration,” she said.

During the protest, residents unfurled a large banner “SHUT DOWN THE COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT!!! SAVE THE FARMERS.” Protesters also carried other posters expressing their criticism and concerns about the environmental conditions they face.(*)