Development and demolishing
Development and demolishing
From Media Indonesia
It seems not too long ago that several newspapers in the
capital, as well as some television stations, were covering the
demolition operations of squatter huts on the banks of the
Ciliwung river. The operations were led by a team from the
Jakarta Municipal Office.
It is said that the municipality's strategy justifies cleaning
operations of rivers, including squatter huts built on river
banks, which opposes present city planning. Apart from the
reasons offered, squatter settlements along rivers are one of the
main causes of flooding in Jakarta.
It is further said that the one-time 50-meter-wide Ciliwung
river has been reduced to a width of only a few meters.
On the other hand, the daily Kompas reported that the Angke
river, as the estuary of the city's main flood canal and the
Ciliwung river, has been filled in by a developer for the
construction of luxury apartments. His act was justified by the
Jakarta Municipal Office through the North Jakarta mayor since it
is in line with present city planning.
The irony of it is overwhelming. On one side, are squatter
huts on river banks razed to the ground without mercy, while on
the other, expensive apartments are rising, not only on river
banks, but right on the Angke river, which used to function as a
combined estuary for the Banjir Kanal and Ciliwung river.
We appeal to the Jakarta Municipal Office not to be
discriminative in the implementation of its development program.
If the plan should include that all rivers be cleansed, please do
so without discrimination.
Do not be selective; this will only widen the social gap and
aggravate social envy, which, in turn will threaten the nation's
unity. We have to maintain a united nation at all costs,
especially in this era of globalization and with the approaching
future elections.
We fully support the opinion of Moch. Aman of the Armed Forces
faction. Filling in the Angke river is in no way justified. All
rivers should be cleansed from obstructive elements regardless of
social ranking.
SIEGVRIEDA LAUWANI
Jakarta