Government promises crackdown in Puncak<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): As the floods that crippled the city ebbed away,
\nthe government renewed its determination yesterday to tighten
\ncontrol of development in the Bogor-Puncak-Cianjur area, where
\nmost of the city's 13 rivers originate.<\/p>\n
Under a presidential decree, the Bogor-Puncak-Cianjur area has
\nbeen designated as a water catchment area vital to Jakarta and
\nthe surrounding areas, and development ought to be closely
\nsupervised.<\/p>\n
The new enthusiasm for applying existing laws at the holiday
\nresorts which have long been wealthy Jakartans' playground was
\nsparked by the National Spatial Planning Coordination Board.<\/p>\n
The board chaired by Minister of National Development
\nPlanning\/Chairman of the National Planning Board Ginandjar
\nKartasasmita coordinates representatives from the state ministry
\nof population, the public works ministry, the ministry of defense
\nand the national land agency.<\/p>\n
State Minister of the Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said
\nyesterday that the board has recommended that building activities
\nin restricted areas be stopped, old plantations be changed into
\nforests, and more water catchment pits be built.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, building activities in the area would not
\nnecessarily pose a problem if the laws had been properly
\nenforced,\" he told journalists after opening a one-day seminar on
\nenvironment sponsored by the Association of Hotels and
\nRestaurants.<\/p>\n
The uncontrolled development in the Bogor-Puncak-Cianjur area
\nhas been partly blamed for the latest three days worth of
\nflooding in Jakarta. At least twenty people were killed,
\nthousands of families fled their inundated homes and traffic was
\nbrought to a standstill between Saturday and Monday.<\/p>\n
Sarwono said that the government will not extend permits for
\nold plantations. The locations will, instead, be reforested to
\nenable the land to absorb more rain water.<\/p>\n
The National Spatial Planning Coordination Board has concluded
\nthat Bogor-Puncak-Cianjur is rapidly being swallowed up by real
\nestate developers.<\/p>\n
Besides, Sarwono said, forested areas aimed to protect the
\nwater catchment have not been expanded.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) urged
\nthe city administration to scrap its plan to reclaim 2,700
\nhectares of Jakarta Bay mainly for tourist and business centers.<\/p>\n
In a statement signed by activists Emmy Hafild and Chalid
\nMuhammad, Walhi said the reclamation project would only worsen
\nthe city's flooding problem because it would obstruct water flows
\ninto the bay.<\/p>\n
\"If anything is to blame for the recent major flooding, it is
\nthe city administration's apparent inability to implement the
\nspatial planning it has made,\" the statement said.<\/p>\n
For example northern Jakarta is zoned for agriculture because
\nthe unstable land is not suitable for building. But in reality,
\nthe administration will have all the swamps and tidal land in
\nnorthern Jakarta reclaimed for tourism and housing projects, the
\nstatement said.<\/p>\n
\"Some reclamation projects in Jakarta Bay have been made
\npossible by close relations between city officials and real
\nestate entrepreneurs. Officials have turned a deaf ear to the
\nCity Council's advice,\" it added. (pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-promises-crackdown-in-puncak-1447893297",
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