Bandung's mountains being blown to bits<\/p>\n
Text and photo by Kafil Yamin<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): Once upon a time, so the story goes, a shaman
\nbuilt a long tunnel to channel water from a gigantic lake to
\nanother area.<\/p>\n
The water flowed through the tunnel and the lake ran dry. It
\nbecame a new settlement for locals and grew prosperous; it later
\nwas called Bandung, today the capital of West Java.<\/p>\n
In the lore of the Sundanese people, this folktale (the
\ntunnel, Sanghyang Tikoro, is still there) explains why the
\nBandung area is like a gigantic hollow in the heart of West Java,
\nringed by a crest of hills and mountains stretching far into the
\nprovince's hinterland.<\/p>\n
But those famous hills, which became a favorite resort and
\nretirement area for the Dutch colonists, are disappearing fast.<\/p>\n
With a swelling population of more than three million, Bandung
\nis in constant need of construction materials. Demand for gravel
\nand limestone for the construction of real estate complexes and
\nprivate housing has led to the proliferation of quarrying in the
\nsurrounding hillsides.<\/p>\n
Some of the mountains have disappeared, flattened by blasting
\nand, ironically, are now themselves the sites of housing
\ncomplexes and factories.<\/p>\n
At least half of the hilly Padalarang area is now flat. It is
\nthe center of the blasting where miners seek stones, gravel and
\nlimestone. The blasting follows the line of the mountain range
\nstretching from Padalarang westward to Purwakarta.<\/p>\n
With similar intensity, it moves southward to Sukabumi. Travel
\nthrough the area, and prepare to be confronted by ear-shattering
\nexplosions and a swirl of dust.<\/p>\n
Through the 1980s, Bandung's mountains were an attraction for
\nlocal and foreign tourists. People would stop their cars on a
\nmountain road to gaze out over the breath-taking panorama.<\/p>\n
\"We can't do that anymore,\" said Agus Handayana, a driver who
\nhas been regularly traveling the Bandung-Jakarta route since
\n1980. \"I would prefer to keep going and get some rest in Jakarta
\nor Bandung.\"<\/p>\n
There is no official data on the number of mountains and hills
\nwithin the Bandung area, or how many of them have been leveled as
\na result of the construction boom.<\/p>\n
A geology expert at the Bandung Institute of Technology, Prof.
\nSampurno, said there were numerous mountain ranges stretching out
\nin every direction.<\/p>\n
\"Westwards, the mountains and their foothills stretch from
\nPadalarang to Purwakarta. Southwards, they stand side by side
\nlike a giant wall as far as Sukabumi. To the north, the Lembang
\nand Dago highlands are connected to Tangkuban Perahu and hundreds
\nof mountains stretch as far as Subang and Pamanukan. To the east,
\na line of mountains stretches from Manglayang mountain in
\nUjungberung to Cikuray mountain in Ciamis,\" he said.<\/p>\n
None of them have escaped the blasting activities, which are
\ntaking place on all sides. While uplands and hills in Padalarang
\nhave been given over to housing complexes and factories, the
\nother end of Cicalengka has long been home to resorts for the
\nmiddle classes.<\/p>\n
Consequences<\/p>\n
Today, the undesirable consequences are being felt. Bandung,
\nwhich in old stories was caressed by soft breezes, is now
\nbattered by strong, dusty winds which frequently damage homes,
\nuproot trees and disrupt the telephone and electricity services.<\/p>\n
\"Bandung has no natural walls now,\" said Sampurno.<\/p>\n
Even at normal rainfall levels, there is the danger of
\nlandslides as the result of erosion in the surrounding hillsides.
\nHomes have been destroyed and people killed by landslides in
\nMaragaasih district and Dayeuh Kolot.<\/p>\n
The products of the blasting have brought some physical
\nbenefits, such as houses, roads and other infrastructure.
\nConstruction companies and the government have made windfall
\ngains from the quarrying.<\/p>\n
Sampurno and environmental experts worry that the short-term
\ngains will be overshadowed by the long-term drawbacks.<\/p>\n
\"No one would deny the economic advantages of these
\nactivities, but as humane and civilized people we have to put
\nsafeguards into place when we do something,\" Sampurno said.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, any concerns about the consequences have been
\npushed aside by avarice, he added.<\/p>\n
\"When our actions cause changes to nature, we are supposed to
\ntake steps so as to prevent any adverse impacts. But now, only
\nthree things occur to us: money, money and more money,\" Sampurno
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"We are greedy and short-sighted people.\"<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bandungs-mountains-being-blown-to-bits-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }