Army promises to step up control of sand quarrying

Army promises to step up control of sand quarrying

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso
said yesterday his office would intensify control over illegal
sand quarrying within the Seribu (Thousand) Islands chain in
North Jakarta.

"A team will be set up soon in cooperation with the Navy, the
City administration, the water police and other related offices,"
he said in a ceremony for the handover of the East Jakarta
Military District office from the municipality to the military
command.

Sutiyoso said the team's activities would not only deal with
illegal sand quarrying, but also other activities such as fish
bombing, littering in the sea and smuggling.

"I'm aware that the Seribu Islands area is a target of some
irresponsible parties, because its environs enable criminals to
easily hide. But it does not mean we have to be soft on this," he
said.

Illegal sand quarrying is believed to have caused six islets
in the Seribu Islands chain to disappear.

The six islands are Pulau Ubi, Pulau Damar, Pulau Laki, Pulau
Nirwana, Pulau Dapur and Pulau Nyamuk.

Two of the islands, Pulau Laki and Pulau Nyamuk were home to
many birds species.

City counselor Saud Rachman of Commission D for development
affairs said earlier that the disappearance of the islands could
possibly be blamed on collusion between officials of the city
administration and big contractors in several projects, including
large-scale land reclamation on the North Jakarta coast, which
required large quantities of sand.

"The city has to make sure that developers do not take
building materials, such as sand, from the Thousand Islands," he
said.

Saud regretted the lack of control by officials regarding sand
quarrying.

The deputy governor of economic and development affairs, T.B.
Rais, said earlier that reclamation projects would need 200
million cubic meters of sand, which would be taken from
underwater sand quarrying in Banjir Kanal Timur river and 13
other rivers in North Jakarta.

North Jakarta Mayor H. Suprawito pledged his office would
continue its joint operation with police and custom officers to
prevent and take action against illegal sand quarrying and other
illegal activities in Jakarta Bay.

"This year alone, we have caught over 100 fishermen involved
in illegal fishing and activities such as sand quarrying," he
said.

Suprawito also said he had warned several companies found
quarrying outside their permitted areas and others that were
quarrying without permits. (07)