Police urged to probe Karo deforestation<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
The Farmers' Advocacy Institution has called on North Sumatra
\npolice to investigate the destruction of 1,060 hectares of a
\nprotected forest in Karo Regency, a catchment area supplying
\nwater to the provincial capital of Medan, Deli Serdang and
\nLangkat regencies.<\/p>\n
According to Darwan Prinst, coordinator of the nongovernmental
\norganization, the forest, located in Lau Gedang and Doulou
\nvillages, is now almost completely barren because the taller
\ntrees have been felled by modern saws in the last five months.<\/p>\n
Noting testimony gleaned from villagers living near the
\nprotected forest area, he added that ten legislators from Karo
\nand Langkat regencies developed involvement in the destruction of
\nthe woodlands.<\/p>\n
The forest, Darwan explained, was looted of its trees
\nfollowing a meeting between the legislators and residents of the
\ntwo villages on April 27, 2001.<\/p>\n
\"Following the meeting, 61 villagers approached the Karo
\nlegislature, asking the legislative council's support for the
\nconversion of the forest area into farmland,\" he said, adding
\nthat the forest area belongs to the area's indigenous population.<\/p>\n
However, he added, it seemed strange that Bastanta Surbakti,
\ndeputy chairman of the Karo legislature, delivered a
\nrecommendation to the local forestry office to issue a permit for
\nthe villagers the very same day they lodged their petition.<\/p>\n
As someone with a leadership position in the legislature, he
\nsaid, Bastanta should have instead followed proper procedure and
\nbrought the petition to a plenary session.<\/p>\n
Darwan said that, after the issuance of the Karo legislature's
\nrecommendation, the ten legislators from Karo and Langkat and the
\ntwo villages' heads held a meeting in Bukit Kubu on July 8, 2001
\nto discuss the destruction of the protected forest.<\/p>\n
\"During the meeting, the ten legislators were asked to be
\nadvisors in the project,\" he said. Meanwhile, \"Bastanta Surbakti
\nwas one of the ten advisors.\"<\/p>\n
Bastanta has denied that he was appointed advisor in the
\nforest conversion project.<\/p>\n
Adil Sirait, a member of the North Sumatra provincial
\nlegislature which made a recent tour of the forest, expressed
\ndeep concern that Karo lawmakers remained silent when the forest
\nwas razed, saying this was an evidence of their complicity.<\/p>\n
He said his commission would invite relevant authorities,
\nincluding the provincial police, to discuss the slashing of trees
\nin protected forest areas.<\/p>\n
He said the provincial capital, Langkat and Deli Serdang
\nlocated below the protected forest in a mountainous area, would
\nbe hit hardest by flooding during the next rainy season in wake
\nof the forest looting.<\/p>\n
For years, \"the protected forest has been a water source for
\nthe city and the two regencies,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-urged-to-probe-karo-deforestation-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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