Police action sought to curb Indramayu deforestation<\/p>\n
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Indramayu<\/p>\n
Illegal logging in the regency of Indramayu, West Java, has
\nreached such alarming levels that stern police actions are needed
\nto stop it, according to a coalition of non-governmental
\norganizations (KLI) in Indramayu.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, KLI spokesman Dudung AR
\nsaid that the state-owned forest management company PT Perhutani
\nshould also take prompt action to deal with the illegal logging,
\nwhich had led to deforestation. \"We have never seen any action
\nagainst large-scale log thefts.\"<\/p>\n
KLI is a coalition of seven large non-governmental
\norganizations operating in Indramayu, including Greenland,
\nPelangi Bahari and Humanit.<\/p>\n
\"It is ironic that, with most log thefts, the police have
\nfailed to arrest a single suspect. This fact has raised questions
\namong the people. Therefore, we are now demanding that the West
\nJava provincial police, Indramayu regency police and PT Perhutani
\njoin forces to wage war against illegal logging and
\ndeforestation,\" Dudung said.<\/p>\n
He said that the NGOs would continue pressing the police and
\nPT Perhutani to take action. \"We assume that many things have
\nbeen covered up in relation to this issue.\"<\/p>\n
KLI said that illegal logging and deforestation had taken
\nplace in forests belonging to PT Perhutani.<\/p>\n
\"The worst-hit areas include the forest in the villages of
\nSituraja, Mekarjaya, Bantarwaru, and Sanca in the district of
\nHaurgeulis. The forests that have suffered less damage are in the
\nvillage of Cikmurang, Cikedung district, and the villages of
\nTanjung and Sukaslamet in Kroya district,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Until September this year we recorded 475 cases of illegal
\nlogging in the area. The crime has resulted in a total of at
\nleast Rp 5.65 billion in financial losses to the state,\" he said.
\nHe did not reveal the amount of logs illegally cut down during
\nthe period.<\/p>\n
\"All the stolen logs were teak wood,\" he said.<\/p>\n
West Java Governor H.R. Nuriana had earlier acknowledged that
\nforests in many areas in the province were in a critical
\ncondition.<\/p>\n
When opening a re-greening campaign in the regency of Kuningan
\non Monday, Nuriana said that more serious attention had to be
\ngiven to forest and water resources.<\/p>\n
The governor estimated that the area covered by barren land in
\nWest Java was three percent larger this year than before. The
\namount of critical land reached 875,950 hectares in West Java in
\n1999.<\/p>\n
The expansion of critical land had led to damage to
\ngroundwater sources. The quality and quantity of groundwater had
\nalso dropped, Nuriana said, blaming the 900,000 cubic meters of
\npollutants that were dumped directly into the rivers each year.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-action-sought-to-curb-indramayu-deforestation-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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