Kerosene hike burns up Mount Ciremai forest

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Kuningan

The increase in the price of kerosene has forced local people living on the slopes of Mount Ciremai to turn to firewood for cooking, thus further endangering the environment, a non- governmental organization (NGO) activist warned on Saturday.

"The government has to seek alternatives to prevent this from continuing further. Otherwise, deforestation will increase on the slopes of Mount Ciremai," said Avo Suhartono, the chairman of the Mount Ciremai Conservation Working Group.

Local people acknowledged that they had turned to firewood after the price of kerosene skyrocketed to Rp 3,100 per liter following the fuel price increases on Oct. 1. This compares to Rp 1,100 per liter prior to the increases.

"The fuel price hike is unbearable, and has put kerosene out of the reach of local people here," said Sarkum, a resident of Seda subdistrict, Kuningan regency.

Avo said the trend was not only increasing deforestation but also endangering freshwater springs that served as water sources for people in Kuningan and Cirebon regencies.

There are 24 villages located on the slopes of Mount Ciremai and they come under the administration of the Cirebon and Kuningan regental governments. The forest covering the slopes of the mountain extends to some 15,518 hectares.

Kuningan Regent Aang Hamid Suganda said his administration would investigate the matter. The local government had set the price of kerosene at Rp 2,450 per liter and anybody selling kerosene at higher prices would be dealt with sternly, he said.