Locals complain about unclear Canal project<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Residents whose land and buildings will be affected by the 23-
\nkilometer East Flood Canal have complained about the sluggish and
\nuncertain process of the project.<\/p>\n
While the residents were advised not to construct any
\nbuildings on their land or to renovate their houses, it is not
\nclear when the land will be acquired for the project, said
\nresidents of the Pulo Gebang subdistrict in North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Frankly speaking, if I had the choice I would prefer to stay
\nhere. But if the government goes ahead with the plan, I want to
\nknow for certain when we will have to move,\" said Sutinah, 42,
\nwhose house is built on an 83-square-meter plot of land.<\/p>\n
Sutinah said government officers came to measure her land in
\nthe middle of last year. But since then there has been only one
\nmeeting between residents and the officers.<\/p>\n
\"During the meeting last year, we were informed that we should
\nnot construct any buildings or renovate our houses because we
\nwould not be compensated for the new construction. But until now,
\nthere has been no follow-up to the meeting,\" she said last week.<\/p>\n
The Rp 12 billion (US$1.2 billion) project has become a
\npriority of both the central government and the city
\nadministration to solve the flooding in the capital. Jakarta
\nGovernor Sutiyoso said the land should be cleared by the end of
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
The governor said it would require some Rp 1.3 trillion to
\nclear the 250 hectares of land needed for the project.<\/p>\n
But Leo Sianturi, the head of the technical section in the
\nCity Public Works Agency's water resource department, said
\nneither the central government nor the city administration had
\nallocated any funds for the project.<\/p>\n
Jasin, 41, a staff member in Pulo Gebang's neighborhood unit,
\nsaid many residents had asked him about the project.<\/p>\n
He added that some of the residents needed to repair their
\nhouses to prevent rain water from entering their homes.<\/p>\n
\"I think the residents are now free to build new buildings,
\nand we will ask for compensation if the government goes ahead
\nwith its plan to build the flood canal,\" said Jasin, who was born
\nin the area.<\/p>\n
According to Jasin, some 500 families in Pulo Gebang will be
\naffected by the project.<\/p>\n
Several people in the subdistrict said residents had rejected
\nthe government's compensation offer of about Rp 450,000 per
\nsquare meter of land. The offer was based on the price of taxed
\nproperties. The residents demanded compensation of Rp 1 million
\nper square meter.<\/p>\n
The East Flood Canal is part of the government's plan to build
\na half-circle canal along the northern part of the city, which
\nwill take in water from the 13 rivers in the capital and empty
\nout into the Java Sea off North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The East Flood Canal will join the 14-kilometer West Flood
\nCanal, constructed in 1924 by the Dutch colonial government.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/locals-complain-about-unclear-canal-project-1447893297",
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