Potatoes blight beauty of Dieng plateau<\/p>\n
Text and photos by P.J. Leo<\/p>\n
DIENG, Central Java (JP): White mists, the slaves of the wind,
\nmeander to and fro in the morning and afternoon and envelop the
\nhills through which the winding road passes, adding to the charm
\nof the Dieng plateau, a cool, nay, cold and mysterious area.<\/p>\n
With temperatures averaging about 15 degrees Celsius during
\nthe day and falling to 10 degrees Celsius at night, the Dieng
\nplateau resembles Peru or Tibet more than tropical Java. In June,
\nJuly and August, the temperature can sometimes plummet to below
\nzero at night.<\/p>\n
The charm of the plateau is provided by steaming craters which
\nadd to the site's magical and scientific value, small temples
\ndating from the Hindu era many centuries ago, lakes, and the
\ngreen carpet of foliage covering the Dieng mountain range
\ntowering up to 2,093 meters above sea level.<\/p>\n
The name Dieng is derived from the Sanskrit word compound
\ndihyang, meaning a location high up in the mountains where the
\ngods have their abode, a reflection of the magical world of Hindu
\nbelief which explains the presence of the many temples in the
\narea.<\/p>\n
Home to outstanding natural beauty and a myriad of wonders,
\nDieng has yet to be professionally managed as a tourist
\ndestination. It is much less well-known in the international
\narena than other tourist attractions in Java, such as Bromo,
\nMerapi, Borobudur and Prambanan, as it has yet to be seriously
\npromoted.<\/p>\n
"Nature seems to be discriminatory if a comparison is made
\nbetween the Dieng plateau and Mount Merapi (2,968 meters) in
\nterms of tourism," said Pudjonggo Kristiawan, head of the
\nWonosobo tourist office.<\/p>\n
"Tourists, especially those from abroad, keep coming to Mount
\nMerapi even though the volcano is currently active.
\nUnfortunately, here the tourists seem to take to their heels the
\nmoment they hear that there is a crater on the Dieng plateau that
\nemits potentially dangerous mud and gasses. As a result,
\nbeautiful Dieng has failed to attract tourists," said Pudjonggo
\njokingly at a food stall in Dieng. "Tourists should not miss out
\non visiting Dieng if they are in Central Java because of its
\ngreat charm and beauty," Pudjonggo added.<\/p>\n
Located on the border between Wonosobo and Banjarnegara
\ndistricts, Central Java, Dieng is exhaustively exploited by the
\nlocals, most of whom grow potatoes.<\/p>\n
As a result, locals now grow potatoes very close to the
\nlocation of the temples. In some places, out-of-keeping
\nstructures have been built, including a number of auxiliary
\ninstallations for a geothermal power plant.<\/p>\n
Gone is the wonder of Telaga Warna (the colored lake), which
\nused to have crystal clear water that presented a kaleidoscope of
\ncolors when seen from afar. Today, Telaga Warna and some of the
\nother lakes in the area, which, it was believed, fairies used to
\nbathe in, are now muddy brown as the potato growers pump the
\nwater from the lakes to irrigate their potato plots, potatoes
\ntoday being the main commodity produced on the Dieng plateau.<\/p>\n
"Isn't the Indonesian government really serious about taking
\ncare of these temples, which were built so many centuries ago,
\nand why are these farmers allowed to use the land for growing
\ntheir potatoes so close to the temples? Don't these activities
\ndisturb the tourists?" Carlos Bobby Dharan, a Malaysian tourist
\nasked the Post. "The Dieng panorama is really wonderful. The air
\nis clean and cool, but why aren't there any mature trees on those
\nhills? Aren't you afraid of erosion," he asked again, adding that
\nhe could not understand why the lake was so turbid.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sylvi Dharan, Bobby's wife, expressed her worries,
\nmixed with admiration, while observing the potato growers move
\nnimbly along the steep slopes of the hills. "Look ... how agilely
\nthey move along those steep slopes. Aren't they afraid of
\nfalling? she said, apparently mesmerized by the movement of the
\npotato growers scaling the hills with sacks of manure on their
\nshoulders.<\/p>\n
"The scenery here is really amazing. The farmers now grow
\npotatoes in terraces down the slopes of the hills. Unfortunately,
\nbecause of the potato growing, the hills in Dieng are completely
\ndenuded of trees," she added.<\/p>\n
It was in the 1980s that the beautiful Dieng plateau began to
\nchange its face. The local people, who until then only grew some
\nvegetables, corn and, once in a while, tobacco, began to
\ncultivate potatoes, following the example set by many other West
\nJava farmers.<\/p>\n
Tourists revisiting Dieng after a few years can easily notice
\nthe changes in the area. In addition to the disappearance of the
\nmature trees and colorful flowers, a foul odor now pervades the
\nplateau.<\/p>\n
Potato growers spread manure on their crops right along the
\nroadside. Because of the smell, many tourists prefer not to lower
\ntheir car windows, or even step out of their cars.<\/p>\n
"Dieng has completely changed now, especially because of the
\nbad smell from the manure," agreed Yati and Titi, two tourists
\nfrom Jakarta. "The place is now filthy and evil-smelling, not
\nlike it was a few years ago," they added.<\/p>\n
"Many tourists have complained about the manure but the
\negotism of the local people is great that they won't even talk
\nabout the problem," said Susmono, an elementary school teacher
\nhailing from Muntilan, Central Java, who has lived for 18 years
\nin Dieng.<\/p>\n
"If the locals could nurture some kind of local pride, Dieng
\nwould be visited by a lot of foreign and domestic tourists, just
\nlike other tourist destinations across the country," added
\nSusmono, a food stall owner.<\/p>\n
To the potato growers, Dieng is their dream land. They are
\nready to do anything to keep this land to themselves for potato
\ngrowing. That's why the forest has been cleared, trees felled,
\nand the land turned into horticultural land for potato growing.<\/p>\n
Wonosobo, some 30 kilometers to the southwest, is the nearest
\nmajor town where you can catch a bus to Dieng. You can also
\ntravel to the cool plateau by bus from Purwokerto, about 100
\nkilometers to the southwest.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/potatoes-blight-beauty-of-dieng-plateau-1447893297",
"image": ""
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