The Jakarta Parks and City Forest Agency (Distamhut), managed to resolve four criminal cases of tree felling or without permits in 2023.

Education for residents to actively protect the surrounding environment

Those four cases occurred in several locations, namely Jalan Jenderal Sudirman (two cases), Jalan Kebagusan (one case), and Jalan Dr Nurdin (one case).

Jakarta Distamhut's Data and Information Center Head, Ivan Murcahyo said the case of illegal felling trees was tried on May 12 and September 15, 2023 at the Central Jakarta District Court after going through an inquiry and investigation process by the Forestry Police and PPNS for Distamhut.

He explained there were two cases of tree felling at the trial which took place on May 12, 2023. In the first case, the judge handed down a guilty verdict and a fine by Rp 6 million to the defendant because he/she was proven to have cut down six tabebuya (Handroanthus chrysotrichus) trees without permission in front of Sudirman Plaza, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, South Jakarta with a diameter of 30 to 40 centimeters and a height of around four to five meters.

"In the second case, the judge also sentenced him to a fine by Rp 6 million, because he/she was found guilty of cutting down a leda tree (Eucalyptus deglupta) illegally in the green belt on Jalan Dr Nurdin, West Jakarta because it was deemed to be blocking access to the house," he explained, Monday (1/29).

Two cases were also heard on September 15, 2023. In the first case, the judge handed down a guilty verdict and a fine by Rp 5 million, subsidiary to three days in prison for the defendant for cutting down a king palm (Roystonea regia) growing on the green belt of Jalan Jenderal. Sudirman (in front of Tamara Center).

In the second case, the judge sentenced him to a guilty verdict and a fine by Rp 5 million, subsidiary to three days in prison. The defendant was sentenced because he/she was found guilty of cutting down two glodokan trees (Polyalthia longifolia) and one tanjung tree (Mimusops elengi) in the green open space on Jalan Kebagusan, South Jakarta.

He continued that disclosing this case was a form of the Jakarta Provincial Government's seriousness in the field of law enforcement, specifically Jakarta Regulation Number 8/2007 on Public Order, as well as providing environmental conservation education for Jakarta residents to comply with applicable regulations.

"As well as education for residents to actively protect the surrounding environment in accordance with the carrying capacity and capacity of a sustainable city ecosystem," he finished