City buys up slums to turn into park
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In an effort to increase the number of green spaces in densely populated areas, the City Parks Agency plans to add six more community parks to the existing 54.
The agency has been acquiring plots of land in six locations in Kemayoran district, Central Jakarta, and Meruya district in West Jakarta.
"We have finished the land acquisition in three locations and are still negotiating the acquisition of three other sites," agency head Sarwo Handhayani said at City Hall on Monday.
She said the agency would complete the land acquisition this year and fence the plots to keep squatters out.
"We will proceed with the establishment of the parks next year. The construction of the parks, which will be between 400 square meters (sqm) and 1,000 sqm will take two months."
She did not specify the total funds needed for the acquisition and establishment of the parks, but hinted that the cost of each park was approximately Rp 600 million (US$65,934).
The agency has been establishing community parks, mostly in slum areas, since 2001.
According to Handhayani, locals can determine the function of the park in their area. "They can use the park as a place to hang out or exercise or as a playground for children. The facilities provided will be relevant to the needs of the community."
However, The Jakarta Post observed that some community parks are poorly maintained. The park in the vicinity of Rawabunga subdistrict office in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, is being used as a parking lot.
The city administration has targeted to reserve a total of 9,155.8 hectares, or 13.94 percent of Jakarta's area of 65,680 hectares, for open and green spaces by 2010 in its 2000-2010 Master Plan.
Currently, there are 5,911 hectares of open and green spaces, or 9 percent of the capital's land area.
Environmentalists have repeatedly said that, ideally, green areas should comprise around 30 percent of the city's total area, to help ease flooding and reduce air pollution.
Separately, Governor Sutiyoso met with Guruh Sukarnoputra and property businessman Ciputra to discuss two parks.
Guruh, the son of former president Sukarno, proposed that the administration expand a park around the residence of his late mother, Fatmawati, on Jl. Sriwijaya 22 in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
"The park would contribute to the open and green spaces in the city. I have no problem with that idea, but I told him to look for private sponsors to finance the project," Sutiyoso said.
Guruh plans to build a memorial to honor Fatmawati in the one- hectare park. The existing park is between 4,000 sqm and 5,000 sqm.
Ciputra also proposed to place a nine-meter-high statue of national hero Diponegoro on the median strip of Jl. Diponegoro, adjacent to Suropati Park in the plush area of Menteng, Central Jakarta. Currently, the Mother and Child statue is situated there.
"It's a free grant. I am not asking for compensation from the administration. Please, don't ask me how much money it will cost," he said.
The statue will depict Diponegoro on horseback holding a spear. Jets of water around the pedestal will give the impression that the horse is galloping above the clouds.