T

he Environment and Forestry Ministry on Thursday sealed 15 villas illegally built on a 362-hectare plot of land belonging to state forestry company Perhutani in Megamendung and Babakan Madang, Bogor, West Java, citing that the forest has had its function unlawfully altered.

The shut down was implemented by the ministry’s law enforcement director general, Rasio Ridho Sani, representatives of the Bogor administration, the Bogor Police and the Indonesian Military.

Bogor Perhutani administrator Achmad Basuki said the buildings, which were constructed without building permits, had disrupted the forest’s ecosystem, which is home to various kinds of trees, including pine trees.

“The loss resulting from deforestation is immeasurable as we’ve also lost carbon and water stores. This has disrupted the ecological function of the forest,” Achmad said on Thursday.

The forest was located in the Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur areas, which were included in the national strategic area, meaning that deforestation is prohibited, he added.

According to Presidential Decree No. 114/1999, Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur are designated as water and land conservation areas.

The regulation aimed at preventing landslides or flooding in the area, as well as downstream areas such as Jakarta.

Thus, the ministry has promised to restore the function of the 9,200-ha forest in Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur according to the prevailing regulations.

He was referring to the Cibinong District Court decision No. 133/2009, the Bandung High Court decision No. 396/2010 and the Supreme Court decision No. 1635/2011.

The villas, along with another 45 buildings in the forest, would be demolished, the ministry said.

Perhutani said it would implement a reforestation project by engaging locals, who would be allowed to plant certain kinds of plants that were conducive to the forest’s ecosystem.

Meanwhile, the ministry’s law enforcement director general, Rasio Ridho Sani, said the shut down would allow the court’s decision to be implemented.

The presence of illegal villas in Puncak is believed to have caused floods and landslides as the buildings have reduced the capacity of water catchment areas in Bogor.

In early February, landslides after heavy downpours hit several areas in Bogor, claiming six lives and injuring seven others, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

The landslides meant some routes in Puncak Pass Resort were closed for several days because of the resulting roadworks.

On Feb. 19, Bogor authorities announced that the route connecting Bogor with Bandung would be reopened for only two-wheeled and small four-wheeled vehicles, but could be closed again if any concerns emerged during an assessment over the next few days.

Buses and other large vehicles cannot use the segment from Gunung Mas to Ciloto in Cianjur. They are only allowed to go as far as Cisarua.

Heavy vehicles will be directed to the Ciawi-Sukabumi-Cianjur or the Cibubur-Cileungsi-Jonggol-Cariu-Cianjur route.