Regent Denies Illegal Logging Caused Flash Flooding in Buleleng

A flash flood in Banjar Village, Buleleng, Bali, is suspected to have been caused by illegal logging. However, Buleleng Regent Nyoman Sutjidra has refuted this claim.

According to Sutjidra, the timber swept away by the flash flood consisted of naturally fallen trees from the river’s upper reaches, not the result of illegal felling. In addition to mud and sediment, the disaster response team found numerous large trees and bamboo that were carried away by the flood.

“There was indeed a lot of material in addition to mud and sediment, including fallen trees. So these trees were indeed naturally toppled,” said Sutjidra on Sunday, 8 March 2026.

Most of the material carried by the current, Sutjidra explained, actually originated from large bamboo groves along the riverbank. One previous victim was even discovered buried beneath piles of this bamboo.

These conditions made the evacuation process extremely difficult because the bamboo and trees carried by the flood were exceptionally large. Authorities were forced to use heavy equipment to separate and cut through the material. “Large trees were also cut by joint forces yesterday,” said Sutjidra.

According to Sutjidra, field investigations showed that the trees had been uprooted with their roots intact. This is one reason the local government believes the timber did not originate from illegal logging activities.

“With illegal logging, you get logs that have already been felled or cut, but these came out with roots and all. So this has been identified from upstream,” emphasised the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) politician.

According to investigations, the source of the material is believed to have come from the upper reaches of the river in the Puncak Landep area. Many trees were reported to have toppled in that area after water discharge increased dramatically.

Sutjidra hopes this clarification will end speculation about the cause of the disaster. The local government is now focused on recovery efforts in affected areas and the search for still-missing victims.

“So there is no more confusion about this disaster. We want to focus on recovery from the disaster in Buleleng Regency and finding the missing victims as soon as possible,” Sutjidra explained.