Bekasi's arable land sacrificed for projects
Bekasi's arable land sacrificed for projects
By Sri Murniati
BEKASI (JP): The rapid development of Bekasi, a satellite town some 20 kilometers east of Jakarta, is beginning to concern locals, as thousands of hectares of arable land are turned into industrial and residential estates.
Bekasi, formerly known as one of West Java's rice centers along with Karawang, Subang and Indramayu, has abandoned traditional farming for the trappings of modern urban development.
Bekasi regency covers a total area of 148,437 hectares. However, the amount of arable land has been decreasing in line with the development of industrial and residential complexes.
Records indicate that the housing sector has used 22,114 hectares of land. According to the 1985 city plan, only 21,790 hectares were earmarked for housing.
Industry has swallowed a total of 3,600 hectares, even though only 511 hectares were allotted under the 1985 plan. The Bekasi administration has agreed to spare another 6,000 hectares of land for industrial zones.
So what is left for agriculture? What are the farmers to do when they lose their livelihood?
Bekasi Regent Moch. Djamhari recently reported that Bekasi, at a growth rate of 6.29 percent, expects a population of eight million in 2000, when rice production will only be enough to meet one-quarter of the local needs.
Will permits still be issued to developers at this rate?
Regional Legislative Council Speaker H. Abdul Manan, in a session to commemorate the regency's 45th birthday in August, criticized the developers using irrigated land for housing construction.
The transformation of agricultural land into residential and industrial areas is clearly visible.
As of 1995, more than 430 housing complexes were built in Bekasi regency, including Tambun and Pondok Gede. They all have obtained permits from the Bekasi regional administration.
Productive
The areas of Cibitung, Cikarang, and Lemah Abang have been designated industrial zones. A number of factories and housing complexes also occupy the area north of the highway between Bekasi and Kedung Waringin, where rice fields were once very productive.
In 1994, 111 preliminary permits were issued to 27 developers, who then destroyed 2,918 hectares of arable land and irrigation facilities.
The Bekasi regent has said that the issuance of the permits was acceptable and in line with zoning plans, which are valid until 2003.
The 27 companies making use of irrigated land in the Tambun district are PT Aneka Berkat Sukses (90 hectares), PT Bekasi Asri Pemula (90 hectares), PT Tamarisindo Utama (15 hectares), PT Waska Sentana (75 hectares) located in Karangsatria district; PT Ciptalaksana Graha Prima (71 hectares), PT Nandya Villa (27 hectares), PT Papan Lintas Indah (15 hectares), PT Citra Villa Jatisari (8 hectares), PT Surya Sakti Bumi Persada (9 hectares), PT Bumi Mahkota Sejahtera (8 hectares) with development in the Mangun Jaya and Satria Jaya villages; the Cooperatives of the Trade Department (5 hectares), PT Duta Putra Mahkota (85 hectares), PT Tri Daya Suluh Sembada (55 hectares), PT Panji Graha Indah (40 hectares), PT Sanghiang Hadi Karya (75 hectares) are using land in Sumber Jaya village.
PT Jaya Giri Sarana (5 hectares) in Tridaya Sakti village, PT Bumi Prima Alam Indah (19 hectares) in Jejalan Jaya village, PT Abadi Guna Papan (80 hectares) in Karang Satria village, PT Paramita Sembada (110 hectares) and PT Citra Villa Bojongkulur (100 hectares) in Wana Jaya Cibitung village. PT Putra Delta Lestari (1,500 hectares) in Serang district and Cibarusah and PT Chandrata Gryaland (150 hectares) in Cilangkara village, Serang district. Housing complexes occupying agricultural land in Tarumajaya district are PT Agra Dyariva (15 hectares), PT Panca Media Rumah Utama (200 hectares), PT Ispi Pratama Lestari (11 hectares) and PT Duta Putra Mahkota (150 hectares) located in Setia Asih village.
Some of these companies are now appropriating the land, while others have started with housing construction. In the process, a number of irrigation canals north of Bekasi have been destroyed in the ares of Babelan and Tarumajaya. As many as 147 irrigation structures, 13 secondary canals and five waste canals are now in critical condition.
In the Cibitung district at least nine secondary canals and 60 irrigation structures have been damaged. The canals were built by the Jatiluhur dam authority. It is not known what losses the Jatiluhur company (Perum Otorita Jatiluhur) has suffered as a result of these damages. The 29-km Cikarang Bekasi Laut river irrigation project, built in 1982 with Rp 600 billion in World Bank aid, initially meant for irrigation, is functioning to its full potential.
The damages to the irrigation network and the loss of thousands of hectares of rice fields will clearly have a negative impact on Bekasi's role as West Java's granary. Investors in development are stepping up their financial dominance, while farmers continue to be pushed to the margins. The tendency of the government to side with the money holders has not only called into question the fate of landowners in the area, but the entire future of agriculture in Bekasi.