Betawi market in Kota needs to be renovated

JAKARTA (JP): A member of the City Council said yesterday that renovating the Betawi markets in the downtown West Jakarta area of Kota would help attract more tourists to the city.

Hasan Dasy of the council's Commission B, which is responsible for economic affairs, urged all related offices, including the City Public Works Office, the City Restoration Office, the City Tourism Office and the City History and Building Arrangement Office, to jointly handle the restoration of the marketplace.

"The restoration is needed because of the poor condition of the markets, which are frequently flooded during high tide," he said.

Hasan said the flooding is believed to have been caused by reckless filling activities in the lower areas of the coast on the part of developers preparing the ground for the construction of housing estates.

Due to the frequent flooding, 272 sellers at the markets, which cover an area of 7,936 square meters, went to the City Council recently to ask for help in improving the situation.

Chalid M. Tanjung, one of the markets' traders, expressed confidence that the flooding, which has continued to be a problem despite the absence of rain during the current dry season, has been caused mainly by the reclamation of swamps, including those in Pluit Muara Karang and Pantai Mutiara, for the establishment of housing complexes.

He said that the flood waters, which have damaged a 100-meter-high wall protecting the market area from the sea, frequently rise to more than a meter above the markets' floor, inundating the 348 kiosks, which offer fishing equipment ranging from bait to fishing rods and nets.

Hasan, who is a member of the United Development Party faction in the City Council, said that the marketplace must be maintained because it is the only one which caters to fishermen's needs.

In addition, the market, established by the Dutch in 1846, could be developed as one of the city's tourist attractions, given its long history, Hasan said during a visit to the markets yesterday.

Subagyo Partodihardjo, another member of Commission B, said that a damaged large-scale aquarium, which used to display various kinds of fish, must also be repaired.

He said the existence of the aquarium would remind the public of the rich collection of fish and other marine animals which inhabit the sea off the coast of Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Soedradjat Soeleman, president of the city-owned market-managing company PD Pasar Jaya, promised to repair the broken sea wall.

Further development of the markets area needs coordination with other related offices in the city administration, he said.(32)