City Councilors oppose roads on Pramuka island<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City councilors oppose the administration's plan
\nto build concrete roads on Pramuka island in the Seribu Islands
\noff North Jakarta because the project could damage the
\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
A councilor from the Indonesian Democratic Party, Abdoelhamid
\nNotowidagdo, said Saturday that the Seribu Island district office
\nmust have an environmental impact analysis done for the project.<\/p>\n
The district office plans to build concrete roads there to
\nimprove the road system on the 16-hectare island.<\/p>\n
The office plans to make three-wheeled transit vehicles such
\nas the bajaj and bemo, both widely used in the capital, available
\nfor transportation for islanders.<\/p>\n
Abdoelhamid said the district office should cooperate with
\nother offices in the North Jakarta mayoralty on the environmental
\nstudy to see if the roads would ruin the environment there,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Environmental impact analyses are required for any project to
\nensure that the development will not affect the environment.<\/p>\n
Most of the North Jakarta area, including the Seribu Islands,
\nlack clean water, therefore any plan which may harm the
\nenvironment, or affect water catchment must be thoroughly
\nchecked, he said.<\/p>\n
Abdoelhamid said problems like those encountered in the
\ndevelopment of Bira island, also in the Seribu Islands group,
\nmust not occur on Pramuka island.<\/p>\n
Bira island is owned by individual, who was accused of
\ndestroying the island with inappropriate development.<\/p>\n
Suspended<\/p>\n
Another councilor, Saud Rachman from the United Development
\nParty faction, said that the road project plan must be suspended.<\/p>\n
\"It is a small island, the residents do not need modern
\nvehicles transport them from one point to another,\" Saud said.<\/p>\n
Syarif, an environmental security officer, said that the
\nconcrete roads could decrease the island's ground water stock
\nbecause as the soil's ability to absorb rainwater will be
\ndisrupted.<\/p>\n
\"Too many trees will have to be cut down to make way for the
\nroad and this will harm the ground water supply,\" he said<\/p>\n
Several big trees have already been felled to make way for the
\nroad project.<\/p>\n
Pramuka Island is said to be the only island in Seribu Islands
\ngroup which has adequate supplies of clean water. Residents from
\nneighboring islands take ground water from Pramuka Island.<\/p>\n
Abdoelhamid said the North Jakarta Mayoralty should stop the
\nproject as soon as possible, while it is still in an early phase.
\n(yns)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-councilors-oppose-roads-on-pramuka-island-1447893297",
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