REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BLITAR - Mount Keluds eruption last Thursday damaged 70 percent of protected forests within a radius of three kilometers around the volcano, a forestry company spokesman stated on Tuesday. 

The spokesman of Blitar district chapter of state-owned forestry company Perum Perhutani, Heri Purwanto, noted that total forests that have been severely damaged have reached more than 2,580 hectares. The forests that have been damaged reached 70 percent of the total forests on the mountains slopes covering 3,885.4 hectares of them.

"This is still our temporary estimate made based on the 1990 eruption that destroyed up to a radius of five kilometers," he pointed out.

Besides that he added that Perhutani has also directly checked the affected area. Purwato stated that the worst damage was found in Plot 3, RPH Penataran in Wingli reaching 1,375 hectares out of a total of 1,738.4 hectares.

He added that the area is located right in the middle of the crater or the eruption center. An equal amount of damage was found at Plot 6A in Wlingi reaching 1,205 hectares out of a total of 2,146.9 hectares.

"Total loss suffered by the state is estimated to be at 19 billion IDR ," he commented.

It would take three to four years to rehabilitate the forests based on this estimate, he pointed out. He added that Perhutani in Blitar was collecting forest destruction data before reporting the final results to the ministry of forestry for future rehabilitation planning.

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