Development causing Lampung hills to shrink
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.