President Jokowi Promotes Vetiver Grass Planting for Environmental Protection

President Jokowi plants vetiver grass in Pasir Madang Village, Sukajaya District, Bogor Regency, Monday (3/2). (Photo by: Public Relations/Rahmat)

In a bid to improve environmental protection, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo stated the importance of vetiver grass planting.

“So, this vetiver we planted, the function is to prevent its surrounding land to become critical. This is due to the roots which can reach up to 3-4 meters in length,” the President stated during the Simultaneous Vetiver Planting Program in Pasir Madang Village, Sukajaya District, Bogor Regency,  Monday (3/2).

For the record, vetiver grass has fibrous roots that can penetrate the soil to a depth of 6 meters. The roots can help hold soil layers together, prevent erosion and sedimentation, and improve soil and water quality.

On the occasion, President Jokowi also warned the people not to pulling out vetiver grass from the sloping land. This is, he added, due to its function in protecting land and hills from landslides.

“Today, we start this and we will continue to plant as much as possible,” the President stated.

President Jokowi also went on to say that the people can also plant fruit trees such as durian, guava, jengkol (Archidendron pauciflorum), rasamala (Altingia excelsa), and others, adding that they can harvest the fruits instead of pulling out the vetiver grass.

“By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, in the name of Allah, the most gracious and the most merciful, we begin our planting,” the President concluded his remarks.

Prior to the vetiver planting, President Jokowi has conducted an inspection of the near Harkat Jaya Village that suffered from a landslide some time ago. (FID/EN)

Translated by: Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Reviewed by: Yuyu Mulyani