Reforestation for Kaliurang resort

YOGYAKARTA: Reforestation efforts will get underway soon on 200 hectares of land in the Kaliurang tourist area destroyed by eruptions of the Merapi volcano.

The eruptions began three years ago, head of the provincial forestry office Slamet Djumantoro told a group of provincial council members visiting the location Saturday.

"We had proposed replanting 58 hectares of the forest but the project failed when the mountain erupted again," Slamet told Antara.

"The plan to regreen 200 hectares of the forest will be our last effort to save the land. If the volcano erupts again and the forests are destroyed, we will let the forest grow by itself."

Water sources downstream could be disrupted as the mountainous areas would lack vegetation for a long period.

The 1994 eruption also cut into the number of tourists visiting the area, he said.

In 1993, 106,600 people visited Kaliurang but dropped to an annual average of 41,000 following the eruption. (sur)