Govt closes down 'batik' factories in Setia Budi district
JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta mayoralty closed down several batik factories in Setia Budi district yesterday, enforcing a new law that bans the factories from the area on the grounds that they are causing a pollution problem.
"The closure is staged in line with a Gubernatorial Decree of 1993 which states all batik factories in this district should have been closed by April 1," South Jakarta Mayor Pardjoko told reporters at the scene yesterday morning.
The mayor led the operation, which involved officers from the mayoralty Law and Order Bureau, police and army members.
Yesterday was the first of three days slated for the mayoralty to see if all 182 batik factories have closed down.
The mayoralty believes that the effluent from the factories in this mostly residential area is responsible for the pollution of the Krukut River and that the installation of waste treatment facilities at the location are not possible.
It is promising that such facilities will be built at the new locations.
While the 1985-2005 municipal spatial plan has allocated the area for residences and offices, other factories will be allowed to continue in the area.
The factories are to be relocated close to Jakarta. The three biggest, PT Windueka, PT ADRM and PT Batik Afri, also known as PT Ratna Dewi or PT Gita Yasa, have been given a reprieve until April 1, 1995.
Rudjito, chief of the mayoralty Industry Office, said the three were allowed to remain because a feasible study showed it was very difficult to move their machinery within a year.
"The three factories had imported their machines from abroad," said Rudjito.
Rudjito said all the factories are to be relocated to Jababeka Cikarang and Lippo City in Bekasi, Kerawang and Balaraja in Tangerang and Parung Panjang in Bogor.
According to the preliminary records of the mayoralty, 12 factories are now under construction in Jababeka Cikarang, 50 in Lippo City, six in Kerawang, 56 in Balaraja, and 39 in Parung Panjang.
Another ten factories have reportedly changed to other functions, including a shoe-factory and boarding houses. Owners of five other factories had yet to choose between relocating or changing.
Protest
By midday, the team sealed three factories, all located along the "Gang Batas" alleyway, Kuningan Timur subdistrict.
Muhasan Ali, whose factory occupying a plot measuring 1,800 sq meters and the first to be closed down, refused the closure, saying," If all the doors were sealed down, through which should I go into my factory?"
Ali, whose factory was reportedly founded in the Dutch colonial era, said his new factory on 1.6 hectares in Lippo City is still not complete and pleaded for permission to allow his machines to remain there for another month.
"I already stopped production as ordered by the governor. I only need time to move all the machines," he said.
Responding to the plea, the team let one door of the factory remain unsealed.
Hermawan Solikin, who had a 3,000 square-meter factory adjacent to Ali's, also protested the sealing.
"I already moved my machines. I did nothing wrong," he argued.
The team stuck a notice on the wall of the factory saying the factory was already inspected.
Hermawan, who had formerly employed 100 workers and produced up to 400,000 yards of batik fabric per month, said he still had no idea as to what kind of premises he would turn its former factory.
"Maybe, I'll sell it to a developer who will then turn it into an office," he said.
The area is reportedly valued at approximately Rp 2 million (US$937) per square meter. (jsk)