Development causing Lampung hills to shrink
Oyos Saroso H.N. The Jakarta Post/Bandarlampung
Apart from its magnificent beaches and bays, in the past Bandarlampung city was also known for its hills.
But not any more. These days most of the hills are in a sorry state, not only because of rock quarrying by residents, but also due to large-scale excavations by companies to meet the demands of housing developers. Part of the material is also used for reclamation projects.
An upmarket restaurant and hotel now stand on Umbul Kapuk Hill, whereas houses have been built on Tamin Hill.
A reservoir has been built on the western side of Sulah Hill by the Way Rilau state water company.
And only half of Kunyit Hill remains.
The hills have acted as catchments for about 1.5 million Bandarlampung inhabitants.
Environmentalist Mukri Priatna said that the majority of hills in Bandarlampung had been damaged by quarrying companies and residents.
"Residents quarry traditionally, using chisels, crowbars and sledgehammers. But don't underestimate them because one single quarrier can pry over five cubic meters of rocks per day," said Mukri, executive director of the Lampung Forum for the Environment (Walhi) on Wednesday.
An increase in quarrying activities has led to a number of disasters. In June 2004, at least 12 houses were destroyed and 82 people rendered homeless in a rockfall on Kunyit Hill.
Camang Hill in East Tanjungkarang district is in the poorest condition as PT Bukit Alam Surya (PT BAS) has been excavating 24 hours a day for the past two years.
The company will build an upmarket residential complex on the hill, which is being leveled in some places for the construction.
Rocks removed in the project will be used as landfill material along 10 kilometers of the Lampung Bay coast, which is to be developed into a waterfront city in the future. Thousands of fisherfolk will apparently be evicted from the area.
Despite strong protests from environmentalists and residents against excavation and landfill activities, they still prevail.
Mukri said the activities had gone on unabated due to the enactment of a municipal bylaw on "quarrying C classified materials" (rocks and sand), which allowed companies with permits to carry out large-scale quarrying activities.
"Strangely enough, the regional revenue derived from quarrying does not reached even Rp 50 million (US$5,000) annually," said Mukri.
Disaster has often struck around Camang Hill, such as in 2004 when heavy rain led to floods in which 10 houses were submerged in knee-deep mud. People living at the foot of Mount Sukajawa experienced a similar incident in 1998 when seven houses were flooded and one house was struck by rocks that rolled down the hill. A developing company was constructing the Villa Tamin housing estate at the time.
Klutum Hill in Kotabaru subdistrict, East Tanjungkarang, has also been severely damaged, with PT Arya Mandala Dwipa developing the Taman Gading Jaya housing complex. The company is still leveling parts of the hill to build houses.
The area was home to a number of animal species, such as monkeys, wild cats and a variety of birds, but they have all been forced out of their habitat.
Water shortages have become common in Bandarlampung over the past five years due to the environmental damage.
On the other hand, the rainy season will surely be followed by floods. "Just three days of rain creates floods everywhere," said Mukri.
Mukri said that prior to the 1990s, Bandarlampung was well- known for its hilly terrain and visitors came to enjoy the natural beauty of the city. It was a time when the air was still fresh and crisp, thanks to the hills that functioned as the lungs of the city.
"But Bandarlampung is humid now. Clean water sources will soon be threatened due to the limited green spaces that retain rainwater," he said.
Bandarlampung Mayor Eddy Sutrisno said that the quarrying and land reclamation had been endorsed in a bylaw signed by former mayor Suharto. Eddy said his office intended to review the bylaw.