Heru Yustanto, Jakarta – The central government has shut down four villas in the Puncak resort area of Bogor, West Java, for violating land use regulations and occupying protected forest areas.
Officials from the Forestry Ministry and the Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Ministry announced on Sunday that the affected properties – Forest Hill Villa, Seaford Africa Villa, Cemara Villa, and Vinus Villa – were illegally built on restricted land and may have contributed to recent flooding in the region.
According to Rudianto Saragih Napitu, Director of Law Enforcement Against Forest Crime at the Forestry Ministry, authorities have been investigating 17 villas suspected of violating land-use regulations.
"These villas are constructed in protected forest areas, where commercial buildings are strictly prohibited," Rudianto said.
The existence of these luxury villas is believed to have worsened flooding in Bogor, Jakarta, and Bekasi. The illegal land conversion reduces water absorption capacity, increasing the risk of water overflow in downstream areas.
"In the past two weeks, flooding has occurred in Bekasi and surrounding areas. Therefore, the government considers it essential to regulate land use in the Ciliwung River upstream, Bekasi River Basin, and Cisadane River Basin to prevent further disasters," Rudianto added.