Surjadi approves plan to improve public cemeteries<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja has given the go-
\nahead to a plan to standardize cemeteries in the city, which will
\nmake them function as scenic areas, greeneries as well as areas
\nthat will retain groundwater levels.<\/p>\n
Head of City Cemetery Office Sjafril Zainuddin announced
\nyesterday that the governor fully supports the plan and has urged
\nall city institutions to take active roles in implementing the
\nplan.<\/p>\n
\"Governor Surjadi has urged all related institutions to
\nparticipate in the project and he specifically asked the cemetery
\noffice to increase public presentation on this plan,\" Sjafril
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the governor agreed to allocate a budget for the
\n1995\/1996 fiscal year to finance the first project on 16.8
\nhectares of the Karet Bivak cemetery in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He said the total cost for refurbishing Karet Bivak is
\nestimated at Rp 2.6 billion (US$1.18 million).<\/p>\n
\"We chose Karet Bivak cemetery because of its strategic
\nlocation. It will have a positive impact on the project in the
\nfuture,\" he said, explaining that people who see the cemetery can
\nsupport the program with other cemeteries in the city.<\/p>\n
Currently, there are about 40,000 graves in Karet Bivak
\ncemetery. In the first stage, 3,209 of the graves will be
\nrelocated to other sites, with a small number of them being
\nrelocated to Pondok Rangon and Pondok Kelapa cemeteries.<\/p>\n
\"We have to relocate those graves and the governor has ordered
\nmy office not to charge the heirs any fee for the relocations,\"
\nSjafril said, adding that the plan includes the construction of a
\ncenter in front of the cemetery for flower traders.<\/p>\n
He explained the project could wipe out prevailing
\nsuperstitions that cemeteries are haunted and fear inspiring.
\n\"When completed, all city cemeteries will not only function as
\nburial sites but also as city green areas and catchments so they
\ncan be useful for those still alive.\"<\/p>\n
He said the project is useful because it can decrease the
\nlevel of pollution in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The city administration issued City Regulation No. 2 in 1992
\non cemetery planning which sets the standard design of graves in
\nJakarta. The regulation forbids the use of bricks or concrete in
\nthe construction of graves and allows only soil, grass and a
\ntombstone to be used.<\/p>\n
Sjafril said the standardization of graves enables the city to
\nmonitor the number of graves per hectare in a cemetery. The
\nnumber should be exactly 1,800 graves per hectare.<\/p>\n
There are 614 cemeteries in Jakarta but only 101, totaling 556
\nhectares, comply with the city's planning. (yns)<\/p>",
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