Fire victims must vacate Penjaringan site: Mayor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of squatters, whose houses in
\nPenjaringan were burned down last Friday, have to quit the area
\nas it is needed for the Pluit reservoir expansion project.<\/p>\n
North Jakarta Mayor Suprawito said on Wednesday that, based on
\nthe original site plan, the fire-ravaged area is part of the
\nPluit reservoir complex.<\/p>\n
The reservoir is being dredged prior to the expansion program.
\n"The major works will take place soon and the slum dwellers will
\nhave no other choice but to quit the site. That is why they are
\nnot allowed to rebuild their houses," Suprawito said.<\/p>\n
He said that the reservoir plays a significant role in
\ncontrolling floods, adding that people must be prohibited from
\nsquatting around the reservoir.<\/p>\n
Many fire victims have erected tents and makeshift shelters on
\nthe site. Some of them have rebuilt their homes. The mayor said
\nhis office does not condone this, but he did not say what
\nconcrete action his office will take against the squatters.<\/p>\n
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja has frequently threatened to pull
\ndown any structures built on riverbanks and other off-limits
\nsites.<\/p>\n
Suprawito said that district heads will warn the squatters not
\nto rebuild their homes and will urge them to move or return to
\ntheir hometowns.<\/p>\n
Fire destroyed at least 2,000 dwellings in the Muara Baru,
\nPenjaringan, North Jakarta, fishermen's slum area last Friday.
\nThe fire made more than 5,000 people homeless.<\/p>\n
The fire, caused by a kerosene stove explosion, inflicted Rp
\n100 million (US$46,511) in material losses.<\/p>\n
Suprawito said the mayoralty lacks money to help the
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
"There is only Rp 24 million from the governor for the fire
\nvictims. I have instructed the district head to distribute the
\nmoney. Those who intend to return to their hometowns get first
\npriority," he said.<\/p>\n
The mayoralty office will contact other mayoralty offices to
\ninquire whether there are low-cost apartments available for the
\nPenjaringan fire victims. "It's impossible to build apartments on
\nthe fire site," Suprawito said.<\/p>\n
Asked why the mayoralty had not previously prohibited the
\nfishermen from squatting around the reservoir, Suprawito said
\nthat warnings had been given.<\/p>\n
He did not reveal why his office did not act earlier, but
\nblamed his office's lack of funds and personnel on the failure to
\naddress the problem of squatters.<\/p>\n
He said a priority scale had to be made, saying it was a
\npriority to evict squatters on the Opak and Tirem riverbanks.
\n(yns)<\/p>",
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