Looking on The Infrastructure of Dewata Island

By Trustha Rembaka.          

Infrastructure development is quite intensive in Indonesia in order to ensure the availability of infrastructure facilities, both physical and non-physical, for the people’s daily needs, either the economic or social spheres. The scope of infrastructure includes roads, transportation services, water, waste management, outdoor sports buildings and other facilities, energy production and distribution, while the non-physical includes various efforts made to support public infrastructure facilities needed by the people.

Observing infrastructure facilities is an activity for students and Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta team in the Resilient Infrastructure: Providing A Safe and Comfortable Life. Activities are designed in a study visit to the island of Bali as a world-level magnet (June 26-29 2023). Several elements of the infrastructure can be observed from traveling via the toll road of Solo to Probolinggo, which can be reached in 6-7 hours, then the Coal Power Plant in Paiton, Probolinggo which supplies Java and Bali's electricity needs. The journey to the east ends at Ketapang port, Banyuwangi Regency which is very strategic as a link to the island of Bali. The port has three types of piers, namely Landing Craft Machine (LCM), Moveable Bridge (MB), and Pontoon to facilitate the movement of vehicles and ferries. However, at certain times there is a long queue of vehicles.

Buildings in Bali have distinctive architecture, such as the temple at Tanah Lot on a coral island, which will appear to float during high tide. Ulun Daun Temple in Bedugul looks to be floating in Lake Beratan. It is no less interesting to observe the Pura Dalem Agung Padangtegal in the forest area of the Sacred Mandala Wenara Wana with monkey primates that walk freely, followed by a settlement with a spatial layout in Penglipuran Village, Bangli regency which applies traditional Balinese architecture. The loyalty of the local village community in upholding ancestral customs both in rituals and daily life and the agreement to keep the area orderly and in harmony with nature is the key to the sustainability of Penglipuran village.

The Bali Mandara toll road, which is the pride of the island because it was built over the sea for more than 12 kms, took the students and the Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta team to the southern Bali area, to be precise, the Karst hill area which was developed into the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park area. Inside is Plaza Wisnu, Plaza Garuda where an 18-meter-tall statue of Garuda's head is placed. Plaza Garuda is the central open space of Lotus Pond which is surrounded by halls and karst stone pillars. Various major national and international events have been held here. The development of the GWK area is an alternative to utilize marginal land without destroying it but providing economic benefits for the region and the community. In South Bali, apart from GWK, the marginal Nusa Dua area has already been developed into a leading tourist area by involving local culture and harmony with the environment.

It is an irony when infrastructure facilities are built and decorated, but the telephone network 'disturbs' the atmosphere when telephone poles and cables are set in a location. In addition, the road load in Bali will get heavier due to the crowdy traffic. What will Bali look like in the future, weather it will remain a sustainable tourist magnet or it will stagnate or even decline? Don't let time answer it, but precautionary steps need to be taken. ***