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)