Environmental study on Bira Island completed

Environmental study on Bira Island completed

PUNCAK, West Java (JP): The environmental audit on Bira Island in the Seribu Islands concludes that the island can become a tourist site, an official says.

Aboejoewono Aboeprajitno, the head of the city environment office, said during a workshop for reporters here yesterday that a golf course can also be built on the island.

The environmental audit was conducted by PT Elnusa, one of the private audit companies offered to the Bira Island developers by the government.

The audit team recommended that the developer, PT Pulau Seribu Paradise, monitor the use of groundwater and pesticides and pay attention to the condition of mangroves and reefs.

Domestic waste must be managed properly, and spatial plans for the island must be followed, Aboejoewono added, quoting the recommendations made by the audit team.

A director of the company, Djafar Tirtosentoro, said in a telephone interview that the company is prepared to follow the auditor's recommendations.

"We have installed a water meter to control groundwater use," he said.

The administration has refused the results of environmental audits forwarded by the developer three times. There were no reasons given for the refusals.

Aboejoewono did not reveal why the last result was accepted.

City administration officials, including Aboejoewono and North Jakarta Mayor Suprawito, refused to comment on the Bira Island case since State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja reported to President Soeharto about irregularities in the development of the island last year.

Bira Island is one of seven islands in the Seribu Islands chain which belongs to the 108,000-hectare national marine park. (yns/anr)