Administration regreens capital

JAKARTA (JP): The administration has allocated Rp 14 billion (US$1.4 million) for the current fiscal year to transform densely populated areas in the capital into green belt areas.

Dadang Ruskandar, head of the city's park agency, said the fund would be spent to vacate 70 slums and densely populated areas and regreen them.

"Each of the five mayoralties will receive Rp 200 million to open 14 new green areas," he said on Monday.

He said the city needed to transform at least 6,000 more hectares into green belt areas to make the city environmentally feasible for living.

The city currently has only 7,200 hectares of green areas, scattered across five mayoralties. The park projects are expected to be completed by the end of this year, Dadang said. (rms)