32-Metre BTS Tower in Jelambar Reportedly Lacks City Planning Permit
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Jelambar Sub-district officials said a telecommunications tower, or Base Transceiver Station (BTS), standing about 32 metres tall in RW 03 on Jalan Hemat, Jelambar, Grogol Petamburan, West Jakarta, has yet to receive a permit from the West Jakarta City Sub-agency for Human Settlements, Spatial Planning and Land Affairs (Sudin Citata).
Jelambar Sub-district Head Pradista Machdala Putra said officials were surprised to learn that the signal-boosting tower, owned by a telecommunications provider, had already been erected in a residential neighbourhood.
“The tower is already standing, but it has not received a permit from Citata,” Pradista said when contacted in Jakarta on Friday.
The tower was built on land belonging to a resident under a private agreement, prompting opposition from people living nearby.
In addition to concerns about permits, residents have complained that the tower is taller than originally described and that construction waste has been left strewn around the site.
The sub-district office has facilitated mediation involving representatives of the provider, residents and the Grogol Petamburan district office of Sudin Citata.
At the meeting, residents opposed to the tower were gathering signatures for a petition calling for its removal.
“As the head of the sub-district, we have to accommodate residents, as some oppose it. Bureaucratically, a petition is being prepared so that the tower can be taken down,” Pradista said.
“Residents are asking why a tall tower suddenly appeared. It has not received a permit from Citata, yet it has already been erected,” he added.
Meanwhile, RW 03 head Suyanto said the construction had raised questions among residents because no detailed explanation of the specifications or plans had been provided from the outset, including the fact that it would reach 32 metres.
“The explanation was not like that. As the RW head, I only deal with matters when residents ask for permission; that is all. Before going ahead, I also asked them to coordinate with the sub-district office,” Suyanto said.
He added that he was seeking to keep the situation in RW 03 calm and continued to facilitate dialogue between the parties.
“As the RW head, I have to remain neutral and cannot take sides, because the person who requested permission is also a resident,” Suyanto said.
He said local community officials and the sub-district office had scheduled further mediation to discuss residents’ opposition and the tower’s impact on the surrounding area.
“There are still some discussions with residents, and another mediation meeting is planned,” Suyanto added.