City to move 2,000 graves from Menteng Pulo
City to move 2,000 graves from Menteng Pulo
JAKARTA (JP): Part of the Menteng Pulo cemetery is to be turned into a residential area, necessitating the removal of about 2,000 graves, an official said yesterday.
The head of the city cemetery agency, Sjafril Zainuddin, said that the number of graves in South Jakarta exceeds that stipulated in recent city planning.
Sjafril said that according to the city plan for 1985-1995, a 5,961-square-meter section of what it currently the cemetery has been earmarked for residential development.
He said that the rest of Menteng Pulo public cemetery will be retained, including the grave yard of European soldiers killed during World War II.
Sjafril said he did not know when the graves will be relocated to other cemeteries.
He declined to confirm that apartment blocks will be built on the cleared land.
Sjafril said that the graves which will be removed belong mostly to Buddhists, Christians and Moslems.
"The agency will assist those relatives of the dead who intend to move the graves to their home towns," he said.
Regarding the agency's program to beautify Jakarta's public cemeteries, Sjafril said that the pilot project in Karet Bivak cemetery would be completed in March next year.
The program is aimed at making cemeteries greener and more attractive. Trees and flowers are to be planted to make the cemeteries better water catchment areas.
Sjafril said most of relatives of people buried in the cemeteries support the program. "They really like the idea because it will make the graves look tidy," he said.
He said the city administration plans, in the first instance, to renovate 10 cemeteries at the top of the priority list for the project: Bivak, Karet Pasar Baru Barat, Kawi-Kawi Kramat Sentiong in Central Jakarta; Utan Kayu, Penggilingan, Kober Jatinegara, Cipinang Besar and Prumpung in East Jakarta; Petamburan in West Jakarta; and Menteng Pulo in South Jakarta.
The city has issued a regulation setting out a standard design for graves in Jakarta.
Sjafril said the standardization will help the office create cemeteries which are as beautiful as gardens. (yns)