Jakarta. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday said forests in the flood-devastated area of Wasior in West Papua were still well preserved.
After touring the area, he concluded that the deadly flash floods in the region last week were not due to illegal logging as had been alleged.
“I myself have seen that forests in the Wasior region are still in good condition,” Yudhoyono said after visiting a watershed area in Wasior on Thursday morning.
The president said he had personally observed a forest in Wasior and also had seen aerial photographs of surrounding forests, and there were no visible signs of damage.
The president also said he had seen logs lying scattered in areas over which the floodwaters had passed in Wasior but this did not mean the disaster was caused by illegal logging or forest damage. “The logs were from uprooted trees,” the president said.
Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan on Tuesday said it was impossible that the floods were caused by illegal logging because the district was classified as a reserve.
Earlier, in a dialog with Teluk Wondama district officials, the president said he had instructed the relevant authorities to prolong the emergency response period in Wasior.
“Extend the emergency response period by two weeks from the original schedule,” Yudhoyono said.
The emergency response period was originally to last only 10 days from Oct. 8, but under the president’s instruction it will now last until the end of the month.
At least 145 people were killed, hundreds were injured and thousands of homes were damaged when torrential rains triggered landslides in Wasior and caused a river to burst its banks on Oct. 4.
Antara, JG