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)