Benoa-Nusa Dua toll-road conflict continues

Denpasar: The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) Bali branch denies hindering the development of the over-water toll road connecting Benoa and Nusa Dua.

“We do not intend to hinder it, but the EIA [environmental impact analysis] problems need to be settled, what impact will the land reclamation have. We are not hindering, if they [PT Jasa Marga Bali Tol] can, they should explain the EIA. This is all about them not being able to explain it,” said Walhi Bali coordinator, Wayan “Gendo” Suardana, in Denpasar on Tuesday, as reported by beritabali.com.

“In the EIA it stated that 2.2 hectares would be affected by reclamation, but outside the EIA there has been water pollution and turbidity. In the EIA, there is absolutely no mention of the mangroves being affected due to reclamation. We suspect it is taking place to kill the mangroves and facilitate the transfer of rights all along the toll road,” Gendo said.

Previously, the public relations officer of PT Jasa Marga Bali Tol, Drajad H Suseno, said the road network in Bali was like a person who had acute heart disease. Therefore the toll road construction had to be accelerated to tackle the worsening congestion problems.

“The road network in Bali is like a person with acute heart disease, the blood vessels to and from the heart are all clogged up, so the only method to save the patient is through bypass surgery [creating new routes]. To perform the operation, people have to accept the chest must be cut open. So it is very strange when the doctor has just started splitting the sternum, to hear shouts that it is ‘damaging the body’,” said Suseno, in Denpasar on Sunday.