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)