Administration has bold plans for city slums<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration is setting up a program
\nwith the State Ministry of Public Housing to rejuvenate slum
\nareas, especially those on state land on riverbanks, Governor
\nSutiyoso said over the weekend.<\/p>\n
\"The city is currently starting to list slum areas which are
\nbadly in need of rejuvenation. We also plan to move residents
\nliving along the riverbanks to better places,\" he said after the
\ngrand opening of a shopping mall in West Jakarta Saturday.<\/p>\n
Over the last five years, the municipality has run a program
\nto build apartments for low-income Jakartans and relocate
\nriverbank inhabitants.<\/p>\n
\"We want to complete the city's program in eradicating slum
\nareas.<\/p>\n
\"We want to lift up their lives. Living on the riverbanks is
\ndangerous. The areas are prone to erosion and flooding,
\nparticularly in the rainy season,\" Sutiyoso said.<\/p>\n
The areas are squalid, he added.<\/p>\n
\"They live in shacks. They litter, eat and drink, all in the
\nsame place.<\/p>\n
\"It's a sick way of life and is definitely bad for their
\nchildren's health and education.\"<\/p>\n
The plan was revealed when State Minister of Public Housing
\nAkbar Tandjung announced at the same occasion that his office had
\nurged developers to help rejuvenate settlements, with particular
\nfocus on those built on state property.<\/p>\n
\"Many settlements in Jakarta are violating the land use and
\ncity spatial plans. Slums areas are also built on state-owned
\nland. But we can't just evict the residents,\" the minister said.<\/p>\n
The government is planning to build more low-cost houses and
\napartments in Greater Jakarta, which are also conveniently
\nlocated along the city's train routes, he said.<\/p>\n
\"One of the pilot projects is the Parung Panjang housing
\ncomplex in Bogor, which was inaugurated by Vice President Try
\nSutrisno last month,\" Tandjung said.<\/p>\n
Parung can be reached by train from Tanah Abang station in
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
There are 35,000 low-cost houses built in the housing complex,
\nin which 95 percent of the residents work in Jakarta, Tandjung
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"They commute to work everyday by train. The vice president
\nand I took a ride from Tanah Abang to Parung, which took about 45
\nminutes.\"<\/p>\n
Tandjung said he was awaiting a detailed report from the
\nmunicipality before he set any target for the project.<\/p>\n
\"Basically, we are just implementing the Presidential
\nInstruction No.5\/1990 about the rejuvenation of slum areas built
\non a state property,\" he said, adding that his office would soon
\nconduct a meeting to discuss the plan further.<\/p>\n
Land prices in Jakarta are too expensive, he said.<\/p>\n
\"That is why we have no choice but to move human settlements
\naround Jakarta to areas where the price is much cheaper, and at
\nthe same time provide them with transportation facilities.\"<\/p>\n
The city administration has developed three programs on slums;
\nslum eradication, kampong rejuvenation and a combination of the
\ntwo to create better settlements for Jakartans.<\/p>\n
Eradication of slum areas entails building low-cost apartments
\non slum sites. The kampong rejuvenation program improves the
\nquality of the environment without evicting residents, while the
\ncombination plan builds apartments to fit the needs of the social
\nclass of the prospective inhabitants.<\/p>\n
University of Indonesia sociologist Paulus Wirutomo, who is
\ninvolved in developing the city's strategic planning, said the
\nissue of human settlements constituted endless work.<\/p>\n
\"I think the municipality is better to take the second and
\nthird approaches because they are more appropriate, and they can
\nreduce potential social unrest which may be caused by evictions.\"<\/p>\n
Tandjung said his office, together with the municipality,
\nwould consider all alternatives before making a decision.<\/p>\n
\"Don't worry, we will take all options into consideration.
\nWhatever the decision, it will be made based on the interest of
\nthe people.\" (07)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/administration-has-bold-plans-for-city-slums-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}