The head of Central Java's Banjarnegara regency has rejected claims by environmentalists that illegal logging contributed to Wednesday's (4/1/06) landslide that may have killed more than 200 people in Cirejuk village.Banjarnegara Regent H.M. Jasri said the landslide was caused solely by bad weather and because the village was located at the foot of a mountain.
"The cause was heavy rainfall that inundated the Mount Raja region. The build-up of water caused the landslide," he was quoted as saying by detikcom online news portal.
Nevertheless, Jasri admitted that illegal logging took place in the regency. "Certainly there is illegal logging, but I think it's only a small amount. That's because this is a Perhutani protected forest area," he said.
Perhutani is the state-owned forestry company, which is responsible for commercial plantations and logging activities.
Jasri said landslides have occurred for many years in Banjarnegara without claiming human lives until now. "As there are now casualties, in my opinion that's because of the high and continuous rainfall. So the heavy level of water inundated the soil and the landslide occurred," he explained.
He made no mention of complaints by environmentalists that illegal logging, deforestation for farming and plantations, poor management of forests and poor urban planning, all contribute to soil erosion and a loss of natural water catchment areas, thereby increasing the likelihood of landslides.