Demolition of illegal houses to continue

JAKARTA (JP): The municipality is to continue demolishing illegal houses in slum areas and along riverbanks despite the festive season, an official said yesterday.

Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi said: "The city will not, I repeat, will not stop its program of cleaning up riverbanks along the 13 rivers in Jakarta. Once a program is started it has to be completed regardless of its impact."

He said Jakarta cannot afford to waste time in its riverbank clean-up program because of pressing factors such as water quality, trash buildup and the mushrooming number of slum areas which flood.

However it is difficult to relocate residents living along the riverbanks because many cannot afford to live in the low-cost apartments which have been set aside for them.

"During the rainy season, for example, there have been certain densely populated areas that have been affected by flooding, especially in North Jakarta. If we stop the crackdown just because now is the festive season that would be naive.

"Sooner or later the illegal residents who live along the riverbanks will be ordered to leave. So what's the difference?"

Commenting on the city's plan to relocate sidewalk vendors throughout the city, Kahfi said that the municipality would tolerate their presence until the Idul Fitri holiday so the vendors could keep earning money.

"The governor has agreed to tolerate the vendors. But straight after Idul Fitri they will have no choice but to get off the streets and move onto plots allocated by the city administration," he said.

The municipality has taken action at several markets, including Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta, where some 1,350 street vendors were reorganized or relocated.

Governor Sutiyoso reiterated the need for street vendors to operate in an orderly manner.

"I believe they are part of the city's assets. So I intend to give them proper places to develop," he said.

Another clean-up operation was conducted at Senen market in Central Jakarta.

Kahfi said the crackdown on street vendors is expected to show the public that the municipality is determined to enforce its regulations.

"The city is always serious about running its programs and we will decide what is best for the people."

Based on available data, the municipality has conducted 431 operations against three-in-one jockeys, prostitutes, sidewalk vendors, vagrants and beggars this year. There were also 145 campaigns along the riverbanks.

"We will soon finish clearing the land along the Ciliwung riverbanks," Kahfi said. "We will move the residents living in shacks along the riverbanks to nearby low-cost apartments." (edt)