TEMPO.CO, Jember - Mount Ijen, located between Bondowoso and Banyuwangi district, has been reopened to the public after being shut down for a year due to a rise in its volcanic activities.
"It has been officially open to the public for limited tourist activities since September 1," said Sunadnar Trigunajasa, head of the Region III local Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) in East Java, last Tuesday.
Sunandar said the BKSDA decided to reopen the mountain for public activities after receiving a letter from the Volcanic and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) on August 26 stating that the activity status of Mount Ijen has dropped from Level III (high alert) to Level II (caution).
The BKSDA then issued a notification letter announcing that Mount Ijen is open to the public for night tourism activities, yet limited to maintain the security of the visitors.
"So we limited it to a radius of one kilometer from the Ijen crater that is currently active. Signs have been put up to prohibit tourists from going any further," he said.
MAHBUB DJUNAIDY
