Deforestation leading to power crisis

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung

Almost 60 percent of the 45,000-hectare water catchment area around the Batutegi reservoir in Tanggamus regency, Lampung, is now in a critical condition due to rampant illegal logging.

The dam was just inaugurated by President Megawati Soekarnoputri on March 8 this year.

The area, some of which is located in the South Bukit Barisan National Park (TNBBS), has been extensively logged by thousands of residents and companies over the past six years.

Sjamsuddin Rahmat, the head of the Lampung Environmental Impact Management Agency, said in Bandarlampung recently that the devastation in the water catchment area would reduce water debits supplying the Batutegi hydro power plant (PLTA).

As a result of the damage to the catchment area, in the dry season, the water supply to the Batutegi PLTA is below normal levels, forcing the power plant to operate for only four hours daily, yielding only 8 Megawatts (MW) of electricity.

He said that 60 percent of the 45,000-hectare catchment area for the power plant had been devastated since 1998. As much as 50 percent of the 45,000 hectare area is located in the TNBBS, which has a total area of 1.03 million hectares.

Illegal logging increased sharply in 1998 in Lampung, following the downfall of president Soeharto. The euphoria of democracy and the recognition of human rights tamed security forces, resulting in disorder in society, allowing illegal logging to go on unchecked.

Head of the Lampung Forestry Office Edi Haryadi said that the office had submitted a proposal to rehabilitate the area. He said that preconditions and social engineering plans had been offered, without stating the estimated funds to rehabilitate the forest around the reservoir.

A similar case occurred near the Way Besai PLTA in West Lampung where 50 percent of the forest area was destroyed and the PLTA could not operate at maximum capacity.

With a maximum capacity of 90 MW, the PLTA could only yield 70 MW from a targeted 90 MW since June, 2003, because the PLTA which was inaugurated by President Megawati (then vice president) in 2000 can only operate for three hours a day.

At peak load, Lampung, Bengkulu and South Sumatra need 620 MW of power. Power available right now is only 570.8 MW, a shortage of 49.2 MW.

So, even though the Batutegi PLTA is fully operational, there are still blackouts in Lampung, particularly now when the Batutegi and Way Besai PLTA are not operating at maximum capacity.

Besides being power generating centers, both dams are used for irrigation. With a water level of 274 meters and a capacity of 6,677 cubic meters of water, they can irrigate 66,000 hectares of rice fields in four regencies -- Tanggamus, Central Lampung, South Lampung and East Lampung.

Watoni Nurdin from Lampung Forest Conservation Consortium (K2HL) claimed that part of the forest destruction in TNBBS in Lampung had reached 80 percent of the total area of 1.03 million hectares.

"Due to devastation of Way Besai River Flow Areas (DAS), two years ago a huge flood submerged the electric turbines of the Way Besai PLTA and it stopped operating for several months and an acute electricity shortage ensued in Lampung," said Dandy Ibrahim, an activist from the Anticorruption Committee.

Head of the Tanggamus Forestry and Agriculture Office Anwar Effendi said the office has started reforestation programs.

The programs were badly needed, as facts in the field showed destruction had reached an alarming level in TNBBS. Aerial observation showed only 60 percent of the forest area remained.

"Some even say protected forests have become densely populated residential areas and villages," he said.