Flame of Hope from Menoreh Hill
Along with the construction of the New Yogyakarta International Airport, the government is also building a new access road, Bedah Menoreh Lane. This road will connect the airport to Borobudur Temple and open access to a number of other tourist sites.
During the Java War, the hills of Menoreh were the base of Prince Diponegoro’s defense forces against the Dutch troops. For a long time, the area was isolated in thick jungles. Today, a new struggle has erupted: Based at Borobudur Temple, Bedah Menoreh Lane was developed to help end inequality and elevate the people’s welfare.
The engine of an excavator roared among the giant trees in Kebonharjo village, Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY). Workers gathered large rocks to build an embankment on the edge of steep land.
“We are building a new 400-meter road about 11 meters wide. This is a completely new road. There was no road here before,” Jasiman, a worker, said on Friday (10/26/2018). It is not an easy job because the area is hilly. The workers must cut the hill and traverse ravines.
The new road is part of the Bedah Menoreh development project. As the name implies, the road will pass through the hills of Menoreh and connect the New Yogyakarta International Airport in Kulon Progo with Borobudur Temple in Magelang regency, Central Java.
The Menoreh hills stretch more than 53,000 hectares across Kulon Progo (DIY) and the Central Java regencies of Magelang and Purworejo at heights ranging from 500 to 1,000 meters above sea level. The tall hills are covered by frozen rocks, which are further weathered by old volcanoes and limestone.
The topography means that Bedah Menoreh Lane must be built by cutting into the hills. By 2020, the road is expected to reach Borobudur andit is planned for completion by 2022. The acting head of the Yogyakarta Public Works, Housing, Energy and Mineral Resources Agency, Muhammad Mansur, estimated that the total cost of land clearing and construction for Bedah Menoreh Lane was Rp 1 trillion.
Hilly
The Kulon Progo regency administration and the Yogyakarta provincial administration initiated the project to improve the local economy in the Menoreh hills. The area was relatively undeveloped because of its hilly geography and minimal infrastructure.
Bedah Menoreh Lane is part and parcel of New Yogyakarta International Airport being developed in the Temon subdistrict of Kulon Progo, which is to commence operations in April
2019. It is believed the new airport will bring more tourists to DIY and southern Central Java. At the same time, Bedah Menoreh Lane is part of the government\'s plan to transform Borobudur Temple and the surrounding area into a priority tourist destination.
Kulon Progo Regent Hasto Wardoyo said the planned development of Bedah Menoreh Lane was 53 kilometers. The route is filled with uphill and downhill slopes because of the local topography.
The lane traverses the Kulon Progo, Purworejo and Magelang regencies, while it originates in Kebonrejo village of Temon subdistrict to the north of New Yogyakarta International Airport.
According to Hasto, some sections of Bedah Menoreh Lane will expand existing roads to a minimum of 14 meters. As Kompas observed, the conditions of these existing roads along the route of Bedah Menoreh Lane vary. Some roads have already been smoothed over and are about 5.5 meters wide, while other roads are riddled with potholes. There is even a road that is only 3 meters wide.
In addition to existing roads, the Kulon Progo administration has built a new road6 km long. “The new road is located in Kebonharjo village, Samigaluh,” said Hasto.
Tourist access
Bedah Menoreh Lane not only connects New Yogyakarta International Airport and Borobudur Temple, but also facilitates access to a number of tourist attractions in the Menoreh hills, such as the Sermo Reservoir, Kiskendo Cave, Seplawan Cave, the Sendangsono Maria Cave complex, the Dolan Ndeso special tourist area. It also provides access to several natural attractions, including Kalibiru, Mount Elephant, Ayunan Langit, Kedung Pedut and Tuk Mudal. The new road also allows tourists to enjoy Borobudur Temple in a new way, looking upon its beauty from the Menoreh hills.
In 2016, the Magelang administration identified 13 roads to be developed as part of Bedah Menoreh Lane. Of these, 6 roads are being prioritized because they are operational.
The head of the Magelang Regional Development Planning Agency and Research and Development Agency, Sugiyono, said that the seven other roads were in worse condition, so their development would take much longer.
Sugiyono believed that opening Bedah Menoreh Lane would help develop the area’s potential and the local economy. Ngargoretno village in Salaman subdistrict, for example, has beautiful marble landscapes. Margoyoso village has a Landslide Laboratory, which students often use in their research.
Several villagers in the Menoreh hills breed Etawa goats and use them for edutourism. The local villages produce cacao, coffee, spices and traditional herbs.
Anggit Wahyu Nugroho, the economic and area development head at the Purworejo Regional Planning and Development Agency, said that in addition to Bedah Menoreh Lane, the regency would develop roads around the Menoreh hills, including the Purworejo-Sibolong route in
Kaligesing district.
Meanwhile, Central Java Regional Development Planning Agency head Sujarwanto Dwiatmoko said that, because of the available access routes, Borobudur Temple appeared to face Yogyakarta. “In the future, Borobudur will be accessible from many regions in Central Java,” he said.
The Public Works and Housing Ministry plans to develop other access roads from Borobudur Temple to connect it with other tourist sites in Central Java, such as Dieng Plateau on the border of Wonosobo and Banjarnegara regencies, and the Karimunjawa Islands in Jepara.
Like other interregional projects, the local administrations must set aside their egos to enhance collaboration. Mass developments like these will unveil the economic potentials and the natural beauty of the areas to establish new economic hubs. (HARIS FIRDAUS/ REGINA RUKMORINI)