An article by Alit Kertarahardja, Bali Daily.

Residents living adjacent to the site of the planned international airport in Kubutambahan district, some 15 kilometers east of Singaraja, the capital of Buleleng regency in north Bali, said they were socially and culturally not ready to welcome the planned project.

Meet I Nengah Sudharsana, village head of Tamblang, a graduate of the school of agriculture in a Denpasar university.

“Of course, I have to support the government program to develop a new international airport in Buleleng. But Tamblang village is located less than 10 kilometers from the designated location. We don’t want the project to affect our lives here in a negative way,” Sudharsana said.

Tamblang village is renowned as one of the richest villages in Buleleng, with robust agricultural produce including rice, cloves, coffee, cacao and tropical fruits.

Tamblang has 1,786 families, or around 8,200 residents, most of whom work in the agricultural sector and own farms.

“Up to now, the majority of Tamblang residents have fertile rice fields and plantations,” Sudharsana said.

The news of the planned airport has also reached the village. Agents have been luring local residents to give up their ancestral properties to be sold to outside investors from Denpasar, Surabaya, Jakarta and even overseas.

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