Diving complex on Sebaru Island to be demolished
Diving complex on Sebaru Island to be demolished
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will tear down a massive
diving complex located in Sebaru Island in the Seribu (Thousands)
Islands, North Jakarta, as the island is designated as a
conservation area.
Officials say the construction of a diving facility on the
island violated regulations defining land usage on the island.
The head of the City Environmental Impact Management Agency
Aboejoewono Aboeprajitno said the island is a natural
conservatory for coral reefs and should not have anything
constructed on it.
"However, they have been building bungalows, a pier and even
provided a floating electric generator that could further
contaminate the sea, all without permission, so we are going to
tear everything down," Aboejoewono asserted on Wednesday.
He said the North Jakarta mayoralty will be responsible for
the operation which will be reported to Governor Sutiyoso
shortly.
The Seribu Islands, an area of 69,976 square kilometers (some
9,214 square kilometers of which is land), is a popular marine
resort. It is currently a district under the North Jakarta
mayoralty.
At least 28 of the 108 islands are individually owned, while
34 others are owned by private companies and used as resorts.
Only 11 islands are permanently inhabited.
Currently, the State Secretariat is responsible for the sale
of these islands. It remains unclear with the implementation of
Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy in January next year whether
this authority would be transferred to the city administration.
A large area of the Seribu Islands, including Sebaru island
has been declared a national park.
Chairman of the Association of Marine Tourism Businessmen in
Seribu Islands Djafar Tirtosentono regretted the slow action of
authorities against the owner of the diving facility as
construction had begun as early as 1997.
"Some 10 hectares of the 37.7 hectare island were bought by a
businessman named Soetrisno in 1997. Since then the construction
began. However, the North Jakarta authority issued an order to
tear it down in January, 1999," Djafar said.
"Authorities never followed up the order and the owner
continued constructing new buildings there. They should have
moved faster," he remarked.
Djafar also noted that this is not the first case of land
usage violation and the city administration should have stricter
control over these kinds of violations.
He said that he hoped the city administration could fulfill
its commitment to tear down the building as soon as possible.
(dja)