Jakarta sluggish about park development
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Jakarta Administration is falling behind its own target to acquire 50 hectares for parks and green spaces this year as it has only managed to acquire 1.2 hectares.
"It is difficult to acquire the land because the owners have demanded higher compensation than the NJOP (Value of Taxable Property)," the Jakarta Parks Agency head Sarwo Handhayani told city councillors of Commission D for development affairs on Wednesday.
Gubernatorial Decree No. 43/2004 stipulates that the administration is not allowed to give compensation higher than the NJOP. The price of a square meter of land calculated according to the NJOP is usually lower than the current market price.
"We do not want to face legal sanctions by giving higher compensation than the NJOP," Handhayani said.
Last year, the agency only acquired 6.3 hectares of land, far below the target of 25 hectares, due to the same problem.
Higher prices demanded by land owners has been an excuse touted by officials for their tardiness in some projects including the construction of the East Flood Canal and the Pulo Gebang bus terminal.
From Jakarta's total area of 65,680 hectares, only 9.64 percent of the area, or 6,331 hectares, is allocated for parks, medium strips, cemeteries, city forests and riversides.
According to the city's 2000-2010 master plan, Jakarta must have at least 13.94 percent of its area, or 9,155 hectares, for open and green spaces. The allocation is still far from the ideal of around 30 percent of the total area, or 19,704 hectares.
The Jakarta Planning Agency had said in its preliminary evaluation of the master plan that green spaces in the capital have decreased by 14 percent in the last 19 years, partly owing to the conversion of the spaces for housing and commercial purposes.
Environmentalists have repeatedly said that green areas have two main functions: To minimize annual flooding during the wet season and reduce air pollution, in view of Jakarta's poor air quality. There were only 25 days in the whole of last year when the air in Jakarta was deemed safe to breathe.
During the hearing, councillors also condemned the agency for its failure to maintain the existing green areas and parks.
"Many green areas have been converted into buildings like the police posts and gas stations on the Semanggi cloverleaf," said councillor Yusuf Hamdani of the Nationhood Party faction.
Councillor Denny Talloga of the Democratic Party cited the example of Jl. Cipinang Baru Raya median strip which has been used as a dump.
Data from the parks agency shows that at least 280 buildings have been built in green areas and parks.
Assistant to the City Secretary for Development Affairs, Hari Sandjojo, revealed that the administration would start relocating the buildings from the green zones and parks next year.
Relevant agencies of the agriculture and forestry ministries, cemetery service office and the sports and youth affairs share the responsibility to maintain the city's green areas.