Puncak and Never-ending Exploitation

The land conversion in Puncak has led to massive erosion and sedimentation in downstream areas.

Kompas/Raditya Helabumi

Heavy machinery is deployed to lift garbage at the Kampung Melayu bridge in East Jakarta on Tuesday (6/2). More than 1,500 tons of garbage, were lifted out of the Ciluwung River.

The 25-kilometer winding road stretches from Gadog in Ciawi, Bogor regency, to the edge of Ciloto in Cianjur regency. Most Jakartans are familiar with its turns and uphill climbs, and are prepared to spend hours in a traffic jam along the road just to breathe the fresh air in the mountains.

The close relationship between Jakartans and Puncak, the area the road cuts through, is not just about tourism. The area is also the pulse of life in Greater Jakarta: in the range of volcanoes comprising Mt. Gede, Pangrango and Salak, is the source of the rivers that breathe life into Jakarta.