Dutch firms interested in reclamation plans

Dutch firms interested in reclamation plans

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Public Works is studying a
number of methods for possible inclusion in reclamation plans for
Kapuk Naga in Tangerang, West Java.

Among the methods under consideration are those were used by
the Netherlands, which began reclaiming its land in the early
1960s.

Secretary-General of the Ministry of Public Works Ruslan
Diwiryo said yesterday that various methods will be studied
before the most appropriate ways are selected for the Kapuk Naga
project.

"The Netherlands is offering a method which needs relatively
low investment", with the construction of polders, or lowland
tracts, Ruslan said.

This involves less material needed for landfills, which may be
less harmful to the environment.

However, the installation of pumping stations -- which must be
continuously operated -- means high operation costs, he said.

The Kapuk Naga Coast Integrated Tourism Site plans to reclaim
4,000 hectares of the sea in the Teluknaga district. The
environmental impact study for the total planned area of 8,000
hectares is yet to be revealed.

Ruslan spoke to reporters after a memorandum of understanding
(MOU) was signed between Minister Radinal Moochtar and the
Netherlands Minister of Transport Water Management and Public
Works, Annemarie Jorritsma.

The MOU is a three-year agreement encouraging cooperation
between the private sectors of both countries, which Radinal
hoped would result in transfers of technology.

The first MOU between the two ministries was signed in 1984.

The Kapuk Naga project is one of the areas for business in
which the visiting Netherlands delegation of 67 firms have shown
interest.

"We gladly share our experience of Dutch coastal and polder
management ...", Jorritsma said at the Ministry while addressing
a seminar on construction on low-lying lands. The talks, which
also included topics dealing with waterfront cities, featured
several Dutch speakers.

Jorritsma presented a coastal engineering manual for Indonesia
to Radinal before the opening of two-day seminar, which will be
followed by a workshop on June 24-28.

Talks on reclamation plans, including Kapuk Naga, are planned
for June 27. The plans -- to include tourism sites, a fishing
village and a commercial area -- have been proposed by the Sudono
Salim group under PT Kapuk Naga Indah.

The plan has evoked strong criticism from environmentalists,
who are worried that the project will destroy the environment.

The head of the ministry's research and development center,
Hendro Moeljono, said Dutch investors are currently involved in
studies on economic aspects of Kapuk Naga.

Australia is also involved in reclamation plans, particularly
in North Jakarta.

Hendro stressed that the final selected technology would
depend on the lowest costs in terms of construction, maintenance
and the project's targeted timeframe.

"A project duration period of 1,000 years would of course be
more costly than a period of 10 years," he said.

He said that the ministry's research center has not conducted
its own studies due to financial constraints. Plans would also
have to take into account the city's 13 rivers flowing into the
sea.

The municipality's plan for the 2,700-hectare waterfront
program in North Jakarta includes planned reclamation techniques.

The plan states that reclamation platforms protected from
erosion are "designed to withstand the long-term effects of waves
and currents in Jakarta Bay." (anr)