Fire victims must vacate Penjaringan site: Mayor
Fire victims must vacate Penjaringan site: Mayor
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of squatters, whose houses in
Penjaringan were burned down last Friday, have to quit the area
as it is needed for the Pluit reservoir expansion project.
North Jakarta Mayor Suprawito said on Wednesday that, based on
the original site plan, the fire-ravaged area is part of the
Pluit reservoir complex.
The reservoir is being dredged prior to the expansion program.
"The major works will take place soon and the slum dwellers will
have no other choice but to quit the site. That is why they are
not allowed to rebuild their houses," Suprawito said.
He said that the reservoir plays a significant role in
controlling floods, adding that people must be prohibited from
squatting around the reservoir.
Many fire victims have erected tents and makeshift shelters on
the site. Some of them have rebuilt their homes. The mayor said
his office does not condone this, but he did not say what
concrete action his office will take against the squatters.
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja has frequently threatened to pull
down any structures built on riverbanks and other off-limits
sites.
Suprawito said that district heads will warn the squatters not
to rebuild their homes and will urge them to move or return to
their hometowns.
Fire destroyed at least 2,000 dwellings in the Muara Baru,
Penjaringan, North Jakarta, fishermen's slum area last Friday.
The fire made more than 5,000 people homeless.
The fire, caused by a kerosene stove explosion, inflicted Rp
100 million (US$46,511) in material losses.
Suprawito said the mayoralty lacks money to help the
residents.
"There is only Rp 24 million from the governor for the fire
victims. I have instructed the district head to distribute the
money. Those who intend to return to their hometowns get first
priority," he said.
The mayoralty office will contact other mayoralty offices to
inquire whether there are low-cost apartments available for the
Penjaringan fire victims. "It's impossible to build apartments on
the fire site," Suprawito said.
Asked why the mayoralty had not previously prohibited the
fishermen from squatting around the reservoir, Suprawito said
that warnings had been given.
He did not reveal why his office did not act earlier, but
blamed his office's lack of funds and personnel on the failure to
address the problem of squatters.
He said a priority scale had to be made, saying it was a
priority to evict squatters on the Opak and Tirem riverbanks.
(yns)