Officers Still Evacuating Giant Banyan Tree That Falls During Heavy Rain In East Jakarta

JAKARTA - Dozens of officers from the East Jakarta City Parks and Forests Sub-department and PPSU are still evacuating a giant banyan tree that fell on Jalan Otista Raya, Bidara Cina Village, Jatinegara District, East Jakarta.

From VOI's observation at the location, the officers seemed to have difficulty in the evacuation process because of the giant banyan tree trunk.

Moreover, the fallen branches and trunks of the banyan tree are caught in the power lines of the overhead lines, thus making the branch cutting process take place carefully. The tree trunk also damaged the pedestrian bridge (JPO) to the Transjakarta Otista bus stop.

"The problem is the tree trunk is stuck on top of this cable. It takes a long time to cut it," said Tatang, one of the Parks Sub-department's task force at the site, Tuesday, November 9, afternoon.

The giant banyan tree has started logging evacuation since 10:00 WIB, but until 17:20 WIB the logging process is still ongoing.

"Start logging at around 10.00 WIB in the morning by deploying five tree cutting machines and three transport trucks," he said.

Tatang said the tree fell at around 09.30 WIB.

"It fell when it rained. The tree is already fragile, the roots are uprooted. This is a banyan tree," he said.

According to Tatang, this tree is hundreds of years old. "Evacuation from the Parks Sub-Department and PPSU with 30 joint task forces," he said.

Until now, the evacuation process of felling trees is still ongoing.