Walhi opposes plans to build hotels, villas in Bali
Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has protested against a plan to build hotels and villas in a number of districts in Bali province in support of the tourism industry.
Anak Agung Wardana, chief of the Walhi chapter in Bali, said on Monday he had written to the Tabanan, Karangasem and Badung district heads to reconsider the plan.
Two of the hotels will be built at Wangaya Betan, Tabanan district, and Padangbai village, Karangasem district, while one of the villas will be built near Uluwatu Temple in Badung district.
Wardana feared if the projects were realized they would have an impact on the environment and the Balinese people`s social order.
“We lodge the protest to follow up on complaints from the local people who want the district heads to provide them with correct information and give them access to participate (in preserving the environment),” he said.
The move was aimed at enabling the people who would be affected by the projects and cared about the environment to get involved in any decision making process, he said.
Under Law No. 23/1997 on the Environment Management and Bylaw No. 4/2005 on Pollution Control and Environmental Destruction, every citizen was entitled to obtain correct information on and participate in environmental management, he said.
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Source: ANTARA News
Add comment May 13th, 2008