In Jakarta, rampant demolition is part of development process

In Jakarta, rampant demolition is part of development process

By Yoko N. Sari

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration achieved a great deal in its development program this year by demolishing buildings considered to be in the way of progress all across the capital.

In Kedoya, West Jakarta, early November, more than 400 houses were pulled down leaving at least 700 people homeless.

The Kedoya demolition proceeded not without incidents. At least four residents were arrested before the authorities had things "under control".

Another sad story involved squatters along the Ciliwung riverbank in Pejambon, Central Jakarta. As many as 45 shanties were dismantled, but the administration paid no compensation.

Governor Surjadi said that the action was taken to clear the river banks of illegal shanties and to convert the banks to green areas.

"Don't see the action as inhumane, it was conducted to protect the environment," he said.

The question remains as to why the city administration let the squatters live along the river banks for so many years, if they were such a threat to the environment. Why didn't the administration destroy the huts as soon as they were built?

Many people have speculated that other people were benefiting from the presence of the squatters.

The shanty dwellers were charged various fees for "security", to guarantee that their homes would not be demolished.

A squatter in Pejambon said he and his neighbors had bought the land and paid property taxes, as well as fees to "the person who visited us every month".

Kedoya and Pejambon were the rule rather than exceptions in 1995, and 1,500 families in Koja Utara, North Jakarta, faced a similar situation. The authorities wanted them to quit the area to make way for the expansion of the container port belonging to PT Pelindo II.

Protests against the demolition plan spread to the point that military troops and police were fielded to anticipate "unexpected incidents".

The area families demanded Rp 2,275,000 in compensation for each square meter of land, while PT Pelindo, backed by the City Military Command, offered only between Rp 100,000 and Rp 160,000.

Now, some 600 families who continue to refuse the offer still live in the area. Maj. Gen. Wiranto, the city military commander, has guaranteed that there will be no arbitrary demolition in Koja.

One of the most important aspects in the development of Jakarta is the environment. Some 40 percent of the capital is low land, 20 percent of which is below sea level. This condition makes the city prone to flooding.

People are aware of the circumstances, but their participation in curbing floods remains minimal.

It's not that easy to stop people from littering and dumping garbage in waterways. Many canals and drainage systems have been clogged by garbage, which makes flooding inevitable.

Squatters with their makeshift shanties along riverbanks have contributed to these problems. They usually dump their waste directly into the river.

With this lack of public awareness of the need to protect the environment, the administration has found it difficult to deal with flooding in 80 different parts of the city.

Dams, pump houses, and other facilities have been constructed to protect the city from flooding. River dredging and straightening projects have also been carried out. Still, due to its topographic situation, heavy downpours are sure to submerge several sections of they city.

The floods which hit Bintaro, Pesanggrahan, in South Jakarta and some other areas in North, West and East Jakarta can be cited as examples.

A lack of understanding between a number of institutions and the municipal administration has played roles in the flooding.

Some offices have recommended the construction of flood control sites, while some other offices are issuing permits for projects that cause floods. Lax supervision by the administration exacerbates the situation.

Despite such bad habits on the part of the public, the city mayoralties, except North Jakarta, have received the prestigious Adipura award for cleanliness.

Controversy over the construction of a golf course on Bira Island has "gone with the wind" since the Minister of Environment, Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, reported the case to President Soeharto in May.

The Bira Island controversy started when the city administration failed to stop the development of a golf course although the city administration's commission on environmental impact had turned down three Environmental Impact Analysis feasibility studies on the development of the nine-hole golf course proposed by the company.

The analysis is a mandatory assessment by a developer to ensure that any development will not have any unwanted impact on the environment.

The rejected analysis was prepared by a consulting firm, which was hired by the golf course project owner, who in 1993 began cutting down the forest on the island to make way for the 20- hectare golf course despite the absence of an acceptable assessment.

Bira Island is one of the 78 islands in North Jakarta which is part of the 108,000-hectare national marine park in the Seribu Islands chain.

The reclamation project in North Jakarta has also caused a debate. The question as to whether the reclamation of part of the northern coast of Jakarta is safe for the environment has not been answered satisfactorily.

The administration has defended the project, denying any "technical" concern expressed by a former deputy governor, who said that the reclamation project would only drown Jakarta due to the blockage of river outlets to the sea.

The administration and the City Council said the flooding would never happen as adequate studies were made before a provincial decree on the reclamation was issued.

The debate expanded when the private sector developing company, PT Manggala Karya Yudha, owned by President Soeharto's youngest daughter Siti Hutami Endang Adiningsih, started to reclaim a total of 500 hectares along the shoreline in east Ancol.

The reclamation is part of the city's development program and the administration does not want anybody disrupting it.

Jakarta was presented the Parasamya Purnakarya Nugraha award in 1994 due to the success of its development program.