MADIUN, KOMPAS – Environmental damage in the upstream area of the slopes of Mt. Wilis is being caused by tree bark theft. Because of the theft, trees have died and the condition of the land is now critical and prone to landslides.
Such conditions were found in Kare district, Madiun regency, East Java, from Thursday (13/4/2017) to Monday (17/4). As seen from a distance of hundreds of meters, some of the natural vegetation cover had brown and yellow leaves, signifying that the trees were dying and about to fall down.
The bark of Persea odoratissima Kosterm trees is highly sought after among tree bark hunters, who often take the trees’ outer bark and then leave the tree to die. Some or the trees have their bark wholly “peeled”, from the trunks to the smallest branches up above. Some others are peeled only on the trunks.
Kare resident Setioso, 40, said that the tree bark was hunted due to its relatively high economic value. Some industries use the bark as a raw ingredient of mosquito coils.
The bark theft has occurred for a long time, Setioso said. A few years ago, the theft stopped momentarily, but it restarted six months afterwards.
The latest theft occurred on Wednesday (12/4) at a plantation owned by a private company. Sulaeman, 48, another resident of Kare in Madiun, said that three suspected thieves had been arrested. Five hundred kilograms of tree barkwas seized from the five suspects as evidence.
Mitigation efforts neglected
Meanwhile, some residents in Seweru hamlet, Kare village, Madiun, have gotten used to landslides during seasons with particularly heavy rain.
“Landslides covering access roads are common in the rainy season,” said Siti Munawaroh, 42, who has lived in the area for most of her life.
In Ponorogo, the risk of landslide in Banaran village, Pulung district, has been known for long, according to data from the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG). Reports in 2008 and 2010 included the presence of fissures on the slopes of the hills. However, as the incidents did not lead up to large-scale landslides, the locals did not think too much of it.
The 3,074-hectare Banaran village is located on a high-altitude hilly region with an inclination of between 10 degrees and 50 degrees. Locals established their homes on flat lands at the valleys or foothills. The steep slopes are used as farmlands for ginger, corn, cassava, beans and vegetables.
The 2,300 Banaran villagers are members of families who have resided in the foothills of Mt. Wilis for generations. “I have lived here for 50 years and I have never experienced a disaster as terrifying as this one. I hope this was the first and the last,” Banaran villager Sarmani said.
Relocation starts
The Ponorogo regency administration on Monday (17/4) has started relocating the Banaran village landslide victims. Some 19 families have been moved to new houses built after the landslide on Saturday (1/4).
The government is still looking for a location to build permanent homes for the evacuees who lost their homes. However, finding a safe location is presenting a problem.
A number of local residents have offered their land to be used as the sites of the new homes, but this is still pending government approval. Detailed research, approval from the government and recommendation from technical teams on the offered lands are still needed.
(BRO/SYA/INK)
