City's parks sacrificed for buildings

City's parks sacrificed for buildings

JAKARTA (JP): The city is struggling to make way for more parks and green areas in Jakarta.

Kusaeni, head of the public order office, said yesterday that steps are being taken to reclaim the many park sites that have been taken over by builders.

Ironically, Kusaeni said most of the buildings occupying park lands have the proper permits, which were issued by the city.

Many parks and green areas in Central Jakarta, South Jakarta, and East Jakarta are now occupied by buildings.

A community unit secretariat office (Sekretariat RW) on Jl. Ternate is encroaching on a nearby park in Central Jakarta, while another park on Jl. Danau Gelinggang has been taken over by a kindergarten school building. According to the city landscape agency, the buildings have permits.

In South Jakarta a food stall and a building housing the retired civil servant association occupy the park on Jl. Margasatwa. Another school occupies the park on Jl. Tebet Timur Dalam VIII and a residential home on Jl. Hang Jebat is also taking up park space. All the buildings are covered by permits.

Two green areas in East Jakarta are occupied by street vendors, also with mayoralty permits.

"Our schedule is to clear the parks and green areas by the end of February. But we may be behind schedule," he said, adding that discussion with the offices that issued the permits was necessary first.

Jakarta has 465 parks covering a total of 3,300 hectares of land. (32)