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.