'Jakarta has lost most green areas'

A new business center is being developed in the busy Semanggi (clover leave bridge) area, Central Jakarta amid concerns over the lack of green space. The city administration has issued the permit for the business center, dubbed Senayan city. What do the people say about it?

Eka Dewi Purnama Sari, a public relation staff member at one of the leading hotels in the city. She lives with her two younger sisters on Jl. Lontar Atas in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.

"The pollution in the city can no longer be condoned. The city has lost almost all its green areas, and less and less trees are planted.

On one hand, the plan to build Senayan City sounds quite good. But, does the city administration here think seriously about the possible impact on Jakartans in general?

Worse still, the development will cause more severe traffic congestion, and deteriorate the surrounding atmosphere to be sure.

I wonder what those in charge of the environment are doing? They are just trying to please the governor.

The government has physically built many things but failed to meet the needs of the poor. I mean that all (physical) developments here are meaningless to the poor.

Instead of building luxury projects, it would be better (for the administration) to bolster human resources development so as to boost more humane development in the capital."

Theresa Wibowo, 21, a student from Atmajaya University on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta. She was born in Palembang, South Sumatra, but moved here when she was two-years old.

"I couldn't imagine how much worse the traffic jams in the busy Semanggi area would become should a business center be erected here. Now, (without a new mall) traffic is heavily congested all day, how would it be if a mall is built there?

I don't know why the authority permitted the developer to carry out the project. Besides, this place (Semanggi) is crowded with malls.

Maybe the administration wants to make a mall space in Semanggi instead of green space, which continues to decrease from day to day. Jakarta has an abundance of business centers already but is lacking open space for the public. Why didn't they (city officials) think about it?"

Ronnie Mahubessy, 39, an employee for a state agency on Jl. Gatot Subroto, Central Jakarta. He lives in a housing complex in Cibubur, East Jakarta.

"It is obvious that the city master plan means nothing here. Several years ago, I heard that the administration tried to boost the amount of green space in the city. It even boasted of making the city a garden city.

But look at the city now. Skyscrapers are built easily in a green area. The city plan is only a sheet of paper for them. Why did they make it anyway?

I am not surprised if the administration has allowed a developer to build a business center and malls in the Semanggi area. They prefer establishing a jungle of skyscrapers to developing green areas. What a city!"

Agustinus Triwahyudi, 26, is a Jakarta-born employee of an information technology company in Blok M, South Jakarta. He lives in Radio Dalam, also South Jakarta.

"I don't agree with the project. There are too many malls and shopping centers spilled over the capital. What we need now is to widen green areas rather than malls or shopping centers.

Smaller green areas also spell more serious problems to Jakarta which has suffered much from pollution and traffic woes. Besides, building a new mall will hurt the people's feeling. People are still suffering from the prolonged economic crisis.

The city administration must also learn from the re- construction of the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle which cost Rp 23,000 billion. The project is really insensitive to the people's suffering."