Residents anxious over uncertain eviction date<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Residents of Kayuputih, East Jakarta, stayed at home last week,
\nfearing public order officers would demolish their houses sooner
\nthan the scheduled Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"I've haven't worked for a week now. I will only go back to
\nwork when it is certain when the eviction is going to take place.
\nNone of us has the clue when it will be,\" said Silalahi, 45, who
\nis a driver of a public bus.<\/p>\n
Silalahi and his family have lived in the area since 1972, and
\nnow he is at a loss as to where to find a new home.<\/p>\n
\"I bought the house from the previous owner for Rp 4.5 million
\n(US$529),\" he said, adding that he knew all along that the land
\nbelonged to the city administration.<\/p>\n
The East Jakarta municipality plans to clear the area which is
\nnow occupied by about 200 houses. The area is located on the
\nbanks of the Pulomas dam, better known as Ria Rio dam, in
\nKayuputih subdistrict.<\/p>\n
The municipality officials earlier stated that the eviction
\nwould take place next Thursday. The administration has also
\ndistributed Rp 300,000 as compensation for house owners who have
\nconsented to demolish their homes before that day.<\/p>\n
Housewife Ibu Pangaribuan, who declined to reveal her first
\nname, said that she had hired four people to dismantle her house,
\nas she intended to save the building materials.<\/p>\n
Each of the men was paid Rp 40,000 per day. As the work took
\nmore than one day, she said, the money given by the municipal
\nadministration was not enough.<\/p>\n
Both Pangaribuan and Silalahi said they still did not know
\nwhere they would live after the eviction.<\/p>\n
Several interviewed residents said that there were several
\nsmall houses or rooms nearby for rent but the rent had doubled
\nfollowing the eviction plan.<\/p>\n
One resident said that the monthly rent for a single room had
\nincreased to Rp 250,000 from Rp 150,000 last week.<\/p>\n
Separately in North Jakarta, evicted fishermen in Muara Angke
\nwere also anxiously staring at two excavators on Tuesday, which
\nwere seen busily dredging the Kali Adem river, from their fishing
\nboats and makeshift huts erected on the riverbank.<\/p>\n
\"Last night, one excavator was approaching our huts and scared
\nmy daughter so much she nearly fainted. She thought she would be
\nevicted again,\" said Cemplon, who is the spokeswoman of the
\nTraditional Fishermen Union (SNT) whose members are the Muara
\nAngke fishermen.<\/p>\n
The municipality evicted the families early in October and
\npromised to relocate them to Song beach in Indramayu, West Java,
\nbut the housing has not been constructed yet.<\/p>\n
Last Saturday, the fishermen were ordered by the municipal
\nofficials to leave the riverbank so as not to hamper the dredging
\nproject. But the fishermen refused, saying they would not leave
\nthe place until they were provided with proper housing.<\/p>\n
Sunardi, the supervisor of the dredging project, said that the
\nprivate company he works for was contracted by the Jakarta Public
\nWorks Agency to finish dredging the 2.4 kilometer river by Dec.
\n15.<\/p>\n
\"We are ordered just to clear the river of rubbish and mud,\"
\nhe said. \"As for the huts and the people there, it's not our job
\nto make them leave.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/residents-anxious-over-uncertain-eviction-date-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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