T

he Bandung municipal administration has finally decided to stop cutting down trees reportedly containing poison along the city's streets and in city parks, following protests from local environmental activists.

Taufan Suranto of the Sunda Environment Observer Council said it was useless arguing over whether the trees contained poison.

"The most important thing is the lack of trees and oxygen in the city," Taufan told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Taufan added if all the poisonous trees were cut down, not only would it cause a loss in oxygen but it would also be expensive to replace them as seedlings cost a lot of money.

Besides, he added, it took time for trees to grow.

A study conducted late January this year by Padjadjaran University (Unpad) in Bandung, West Java, found the trees along the city's streets and in city parks contained poison.

Unpad biologist Joko Kusmoro said two tree species - Bintaro (suicide tree) and Mentega (oleander) - were among the poisonous tree species that could cause rashes, skin lesions, paralysis and even death upon contact with their sap. Oleander is also known to hold its toxicity even after drying.

"Every part of the Bintaro tree could potentially release poison called cerberin, blocking the ion calcium channel in the heart's muscle and stopping the pulse, which could lead to death," Joko told The Post at the Unpad campus in Jatinangor, Sumedang, near Bandung.

Joko added the smoke from a burning Bintaro tree also contained toxic gas that was dangerous if inhaled, while elements from the Oleander could cause heart failure if consumed by humans.

Joko, who teaches plant taxonomy at the biology department of Unpad, said he often took his students for field trips to show them specimens of toxic plants grown in the city's parks and residential areas in Bandung.

Some of those trees include the kuweni mango trees, whose sap can cause skin rashes and even skin cancer and the solanase species, which contain narcotic substances like kecubung that is intoxicating when consumed.

"We wonder why the poisonous trees are grown in city parks and public places without giving the public clear information about the hazards the trees pose to their health," said Joko.

Together with his colleague Aseng Ramlan, also a biologist at Unpad, Joko raised his concerns with Bandung Mayor Dada Rosada recently. Joko deemed the city park agency was unaware of the toxic tree species.

"It is appropriate then for us academics to inform the public of the dangers," said Joko, who heads the conservation of the 12.5-hectare arboretum at Unpad's Jatinangor campus.

Joko had never imagined the information would have raised confusion and prompted the park agency to cut down the toxic trees in several locations in the city.

As of last month, at least 250 of the trees have reportedly been cut down by the municipal park agency following the report on poisonous trees.

Joko said his team had never recommended the toxic trees be cut down because they all produce oxygen.

"We only warn people of the risks so the municipality could place labels and signboards on each tree to prevent them from being abused or treated arbitrarily."

Head of the greenery division at the city's park and cemetery agency Sumitro said Mayor Dada had instructed his office to cut down all the toxic trees grown in public places around town.

"We are only carrying out our duty. We were apparently uninformed about the tree species," said Sumitro.

Dada eventually instructed his officers to stop cutting down the trees, following protests from environmental experts and activists. However, as many as 30 large trees have already been felled in the leafy Dago area in north Bandung.

A member of the ethnic Sunda Forestry and Environment Promotion Council, Sobirin Supardiyono, deemed the order to cut down the trees very reactive and found that little thought had been given to the current critical condition of trees in the city.

He said many poisonous trees were able to absorb chemical pollutants in the air, such as the Oleander.

"We should also see the benefits and not immediately cut them down, just because they contain poison," Sobirin said.

"They can bring benefits, therefore people should not cut them down or harm them, just because they are afraid of the negative impact they could have," he added.

The cost of buying tree seedlings is also very high, ranging between Rp 17,500 and Rp 54,500 each, therefore cutting trees down is also a waste of money from a financial perspective. Bandung also has not yet reached its target of 1.5 million trees to provide each of its 3 million inhabitants with 0.5 kilograms of oxygen.