Illegal buildings along river pulled down

Illegal buildings along river pulled down

JAKARTA (JP): The law and order officers of the West Jakarta
mayoralty are currently launching a cleanup operation along
Cisadane river.

Hundreds of illegal buildings along the river are being
demolished in line with the mayoralty's drive to clean up illegal
buildings from the riverbanks.

The demolition of the illegal buildings is in line with
Regional Regulations No. 11/1988 on public security and No.
5/1988 on sanitation in the Jakarta area.

By the end of this year all riverbanks in the mayoralty are
expected to be clear of all illegal buildings, Karsidin, head of
the local law and order bureau, said.

"The riverbanks will be earmarked for greenbelts," Karsidin
told the Kompas daily.

He said that the West Jakarta mayoralty has informed all
squatters along the Cisadane river of the demolition plan. After
the Cisadane river, demolitions will be conducted along the
Pesanggrahan riverbank in Kebon Jeruk.

Abuhi Siara, an official of the mayoralty's park office, said
that the demolition is part of the city administration river
cleanup program called Prokasih.

A number of local residents whose houses will be cleared said
that principally they support the administration program.
"However, it would be wiser if the demolition is conducted after
the Idul Fitri festivity and not today when we are still in the
first days of the fasting month," they said.

"We just ask the city administration to allow us to stay here
until Idul Fitri," Yuwono, one of the residents, said.

Similar demolitions will also be conducted along Opak river in
North Jakarta after Idul Fitri. Over 1,000 people living in
Penjaringan and Ancol subdistricts will be ordered to vacate the
area. (25)