Jakarta sluggish about park development
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.