Kupang – The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) is asking the government to shut down all manganese mining in West Timor in a bid to help preserve the environment.

The request was made after a recent survey showed that excess mining had caused landslides in the regencies of Kupang, Timor Tengah Selatan, Timor Tengah Utara and Belu.

"It's time for the government to encourage the development of other industries besides mining, like agricultural development and livestock development in the western part of Timor," Walhi NTT program manager Herry Naif said Wednesday.

He said mining should be conducted sustainably rather than disregarding ecological elements like hydrology systems and health.