Industrial area grows, poverty flourishes

Industrial area grows, poverty flourishes

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Kosambi district in Tangerang has turned into a warehouse
industrial area which attracts many investors, but local people
who live in the area remain poor.

In fact, about 5,700 villagers in the coastal area of the
district are so poor that they do not have enough food to
celebrate the annual Muslim holiday of Idul Fitri.

"Ahead of this Idul Fitri, those residents in Kosambi district
are in badly need of staple food," the district head, Noor Aly,
was quoted by Antara as saying on Sunday.

He said there were 10 poor villages in the district. The
poorest comprise Salembaran Jati, Kosambi Barat, Kosambi Timur
and Rawa Burung.

The Puspa Indah Foundation has recently donated 1,000
packages, each consisting of five kilograms of rice, one kilogram
of sugar, one kilogram of cooking oil, sweet soy sauce and some
dates. The packages were handed over for residents of Salembaran
Jati village.

People in Kosambi districts still live in poverty despite the
fact that the warehouse industry in the district was experiencing
robust growth. Many warehouses have been built in the area, which
used to be slums, over the past two years. The development has
attracted many investors as the location is close to the
Soekarno-Hatta airport.

The villagers also suffer from water shortages. They can not
drink the ground water, which is brackish, while the water
hydrant provided by the regency administration could not provide
them with enough water. Therefore, the people need to buy clean
water for drinking and cooking.

Regent Agus Djunara had earlier instructed the local water
company PDAM Tirta Kerta Raharja to provide clean water for the
residents in Kosambi district, but the company has yet to follow
up.