REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA - Ministry of Forestry prepares 300 billion IDR to close a large area around Mount Merapi, creating a 'red zone'. The area will be turned into protected forest.
"The area affected by the eruption always becomes our concern. The area is very fertile where trees can grow naturally," Minister of Forestry Zulkifli Hasan said on Saturday.
He explained that the 300 billion IDR would be used to indemnify community lands. After the red zone is built, people cannot build houses within the area.
Earlier, Women Movement of Planting and Nurturing Trees (GPTP) planted 10,000 trees in Mount Merapi. Their movement is aimed to recover the volcano on the aftermath of eruption in 2010. The Head of GPTP Board, Oni Jafar Habsyah, said Merapi was a distinct tropical mountain and must be restored into green open area.
"Merapi is devastated due to last eruption," Habsyah said.
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