Governor deceitful about parks?

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso said in his budget speech last week that his administration had constructed 37 parks throughout the capital last year. But data from the Jakarta Park Agency shows that only 23 parks had been developed.

The agency's project leader Sudirman Sulungkao, said the administration failed to build the remaining 14 parks because of time constraints.

"They only reached the stage of land clearance last year," Sudirman told The Jakarta Post.

Sutiyoso claimed in his speech that a total of 37 "interactive parks" were built in slum areas in the city's five mayoralties.

They were called "interactive parks" because they focused more on the park's social function rather than esthetics. Therefore, the parks look more like playgrounds.

The parks are not big. The smallest one is only 78 square meters, located in Taman Sari, West Jakarta, while the largest one, 563 square meters, is in Menteng Atas, South Jakarta.

The projects to build the 37 parks were handled by the Jakarta Park Agency and the five municipal offices.

The agency should have built 14 parks totaling 3,392 square meters in various parts of the city, but it only managed to build 11 parks.

The Central Jakarta Municipality was assigned to build seven parks covering a total area of 2,197 square meters, but failed to build even one, while East Jakarta, which should have built two parks, also failed to build any.

South Jakarta managed to build two parks instead of four, while the West Jakarta and North Jakarta were able to successfully complete their duty to build, seven and three parks respectively.

Even though the parks are small, local residents are really grateful because open spaces are rare in Jakarta. Rapid development has turned the city into a concrete jungle with a lack of open spaces for adults and also for children to play.

In Kota Bambu Selatan subdistrict, in Palmerah district of Central Jakarta, scores of children were seen playing soccer in an "interactive park" that was built by the park agency.

Ignoring the heat, they played the game using a plastic ball in the 262-square meter park located in the densely populated area.

The spot is the only open area for over 3,000 residents living in the neighborhood, who are mostly low income families.

"Since the park was built in October last year, children always play various games here. They even ignore the burning sunshine," said Riyanto, 25, whose 30-meter-square house was located only one meter from the park.

Riyanto said it was not only children who liked playing in the park. Teenagers and even the adults often spent time there.

The park is just like a playground with swings, climbing facilities and concrete desks. While trees, which one normally expects to see in a park, were only planted at the edge of the park.

Similar facilities were also seen at a 190-meter-square park on Jl. Bahari, Tandjung Priok subdistrict, North Jakarta. Many young school children were seen playing on the swings there in the morning.

Jailani, 60, whose lives five meters away from the park, said that adult women did exercises, particularly on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, there.

But, according to Jailani, not all people like the presence of the park. They, he added, were concerned by the presence of teenage couples who gathered in the evening in the park.

"Many teenagers from outside neighborhoods come here in the evening. So far, nothing has happened, but the residents here are worried that they may disrupt the peace in the neighborhood," he added.