Destruction of trees
Destruction of trees
Bogor -- which was once called Buitenzorg (place without care)
in the very distant past because of its cool climate, beautiful
surroundings, lush vegetation and quiet -- has now become a very
noisy, hot, polluted concrete jungle in which numerous and almost
continuous traffic jams contribute to making life even more
miserable for its citizens.
In addition, there is ample evidence that the bureaucrats
responsible for the city's management are too busy lining their
own pockets to care.
In its Dec. 4, 1996 edition, the daily Suara Pembaruan
featured an article under the heading Dozens of trees belonging
to the collection of Bogor's Botanical Gardens about to be cut
down for a parking area.
To my knowledge, The Jakarta Post has, as yet, made no mention
of this appalling destruction of ancient and historically
valuable trees which is about to take place very soon.
According to Suara Pembaruan's report, one of the trees to be
felled is the priceless pterocarpus indicus wild tree planted by
Prof. J.E. Teijsmann, the director of the Bogor Botanical Gardens
from 1831 to 1867.
In addition, the article also mentioned the alarming decline
of the world-renowned garden, from an erstwhile richly stocked
and impeccably maintained research center, to a disgracefully
neglected, garbage-infested place of recreation, in which many
scientifically valuable trees have died because they were not
provided with the proper care.
As might have been expected, the gardens' current director,
Dr. Suhirman, had gone to Bali, and was therefore "unavailable
for comment".
What will become of the Bogor Botanical Gardens, without its
world-famous collection of trees and plants?
And what will become of Bogor itself, when asinine
bureaucratic decisions based on shortsightedness and greed
drastically reduce and ultimately destroy the gardens, which
serve as Bogor's lungs and is also the city's pride and joy?
Truly, we Indonesians should be ashamed of ourselves for
allowing such wanton destruction to occur.
TAMI KOESTOMO
Bogor, West Java