Jakarta in need of underground mapping<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta is badly in need of underground mapping
\nto enable the city to utilize its land for underground
\nconstruction, an official said yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"In a very short time we will not be able to build anything on
\nthe ground in the city, which covers an area of 650.40 square
\nkilometers,\" head of the City Mapping and Land Measurement
\nAgency, Moch. Sidarta, said.<\/p>\n
He said other countries, such as Japan and the United States,
\nused 30 percent of their land in major cities for underground
\nconstruction.<\/p>\n
\"Japan, for instance, has a subway that has seven underground
\nfloors. We should study their example,\" Sidarta said.<\/p>\n
Sidarta said that, like it or not, the city administration
\nshould conduct underground mapping, because the city could face
\nserious land shortage problems in the future.<\/p>\n
\"If no one realizes the importance of underground mapping, the
\ncity will face much more complicated problems in land shortage
\nover the next few years,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said underground mapping was important to identify the
\nconditions of the land.<\/p>\n
\"Using underground mapping, the administration could determine
\nthe kinds of projects to be constructed,\" Sidarta said.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, he said, none of the city's development plans
\nincluded underground mapping.<\/p>\n
He said the municipality annually issued permits for the
\nconstruction of 13,000 new buildings on land, excluding the
\nconstruction of new streets, bridges, or other infrastructure
\nprojects by the Ministry of Public Works.<\/p>\n
The governor, he said, planned to introduce underground
\nmapping before his office term ended Oct. 6.<\/p>\n
\"In line with the municipality's plan to develop a subway,
\nunderground mapping is essential,\" Sidarta said.<\/p>\n
\"By developing an underground transport system, the
\nmunicipality will not only reduce traffic jams, but it will also
\nbe able to develop modern underground shopping centers,\" Sidarta
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Besides, an underground transport system will create a
\nfriendlier atmosphere for pedestrians, he said.<\/p>\n
The construction of the long-awaited subway, which was
\nscheduled to start in June after it was postponed in April, was
\ndelayed again without any further information about when it would
\ncommence.<\/p>\n
Deputy Governor of Economic and Development Affairs Tb.M. Rais
\npreviously said the subway would be the only solution to
\nJakarta's never-ending traffic problems.<\/p>\n
He said with the rapid increase of private cars and the
\ngovernment's difficulties in finding space for more streets, \"the
\nonly possible solution is to build an underground transport
\nsystem,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The US$2.2 billion subway project connecting Blok M in South
\nJakarta to downtown Kota was originally expected to be completed
\nby Aug. 17, 2001. (ste)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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