Mangrove trees cut down, firms summoned
Mangrove trees cut down, firms summoned
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Three companies have been summoned by a joint investigative team
led by the City Agricultural and Forestry Agency over the felling
of at least 200 mangrove trees along the Sedyatmo toll road in
Kapuk, North Jakarta.
The trees were reportedly cut down to make billboards along
the toll road more visible to passing motorists.
"We have sent summonses to three companies as witnesses in
this case. They are toll road operator PT Jasa Marga, ad agency
PT Rainbow Cipta Utama and PT Mandara Permai, the developer of
the advertisement spots," agency head Peni Susanti told The
Jakarta Post by phone on Tuesday.
Peni said representatives of the three companies had to appear
to answer questions within three days of receiving the summonses.
"My agency will lead the joint team, which also comprises
forest rangers, the city police and the North Jakarta Police,"
she said.
She cited Government Regulation No. 1/2004, which replaced Law
No. 41/1999 on forestry, as the legal grounds for the
investigation.
The regulation stipulates that the unauthorized felling of
trees is illegal. Those found guilty of violating the regulation
face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The new regulation carries heavier sanctions than Law No.
41/1999, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison
or a fine of up to Rp 5 billion (US$588,235).
Aside from mangrove trees, the forestry agency found that
other types of trees had also been cut down, including palm
trees.
The agency earlier received a report that 102 trees had been
felled. But when it conducted a field check, it found that more
than 200 had been lost.
"We recorded all of the different types of trees in the
forest. That is why we know how many trees were cut down," she
said.
She deplored the felling of the mangrove trees, which play a
crucial role in preventing seawater intrusion, land abrasion and
flooding along the northern coast of the city.
"It is difficult to rehabilitate mangrove forests. We have to
plant the seeds in a swampy area. Even if we succeed, each
mangrove seed will only grow to a height of 30 centimeters within
a year," she said.
The head of the City Environmental Management Agency, Kosasih
Wirahadikusumah, said on Tuesday his agency would demand that
those parties responsible for cutting down the trees replace them
by planting trees in other locations, the administration's
official online news source, BeritaJakarta.com, reported.
Earlier, City Park Agency head Sarwo Handhayani said the
felling of the mangrove trees had been reported six weeks ago by
urban activist Marco Kusumawijaya.
The agency found that additional trees along the Sedyatmo toll
road were cut down two weeks ago.