Chairman of BIPPLH, Subudi: Uncontrolled Quarry Area Disrupts Sacred Area of Mt. Agung Forest

Karangasem, 12/10 (Atnews) – Chairman of Bali Independent Development and Environmental Monitoring Agency (BIPPLH) Komang Gede Subudi monitored environmental damages due to uncontrolled quarry activities entering the slopes of Mount Agung in Karangasem on Saturday (Oct. 12).

It is truly unfortunate for those who dare to disrupt the Motherland of the region which is very sanctified by Hindus in this area. Within the area there is the Besakih Temple posing the largest worship place of God (Sanghyang Widhi) in Indonesia, the Penataran Agung Temple (Sebudi, Sibetan and Bhuana Giri). In addition, mountain forests also constitute a source of water for the needs of the people of Karangasem and Klungkung.

“Destroying the forest is the same as damaging the water source, damaging the water is the same as destroying life,” he said. But lately, forest of Mount Agung having been proven to have been hit by continued fires over a long period of time is really a concern. The forest in Mount Agung is for the people of Bali Island serving as a producer of oxygen.

The lack of control will cause casualties such as the death of two workers at Rendang quarry on Tuesday (Sep. 17). For this reason, joint attention and responsibility of the government, the community and law enforcement is very much needed with concrete measures to stop all bad things.

The government issued regulations to protect and preserve the region and preparing tangible programs for the environment. Meanwhile, the community complies with these rules well for the future survival of Bali.

In the meantime, law enforcement must be responsive to incidents that tend to be dangerous. The uncontrolled quarry activities have damaged the forest as happened in the Sebudi and Bhuana Giri villages.

In his imagination, when raining heavily there is possibility to result in a large landslide being detrimental to all parties. Similarly, it can damage other public facilities from the failure of control of quarry activities.

Moreover, he is sad about quarry activities on the side of the highway that can endanger road users. Similarly, it can make the road badly damaged and hollow. “I am concerned to see that there are large-scale quarries on the left and right outside the tolerance limits,” he affirmed.

Subudi invited every human being to lower their egos in protecting the natural environment of Bali which will be passed on to their children and grandchildren in the future.

Bali as the Island of the Gods has inhabitants with highly cultured as holding the principle of Tri Hita Karana or three human relationships with God, humans with each other and humans with the environment. Bali’s excellence should be maintained so that it remains an international tourist destination.

In addition, Gunung Agung returning to erupt in 2017 is still in the Watch status (Level III) until now after it last erupted in 1963. This indicates that the natural balance of Bali is starting to become problematic.

For this reason, he hoped that Balinese people will remain mindful and aware of preserving the small and beautiful Bali nicknamed as the Island of One Thousand Temples and it should be continuously maintained in terms of its preservation for the common good. “Protecting the environment means respecting the motherland,” he concluded. (ART/02)