Keep Depok neat and tidy

Keep Depok neat and tidy

From Rakyat Merdeka

After formally being declared an administrative city three years ago, Depok has seen rapid growth. One example is the Cinere area, which borders South Jakarta.

Many of Cinere's residents, from street sweepers to top executives, can now earn their living in Jakarta. The result is Jl. Cinere Raya -- the access road only three kilometers long -- is every day densely packed with traffic. This road should actually be upgraded to a "first class" or "protocol" street and consequently be properly maintained, covering its construction, lighting system and clean environment.

Unfortunately, today one can easily see the disorderly state of most of the buildings in the area, including the residential buildings and the shops. The semi-permanent foodstalls and vendors have further damaged the area. In front of Cinere Mall, close to a Hindu temple, a semi-permanent wooden construction has cropped up, replacing the attractive plants, which used to be sold here.

The Depok city administration should immediately take stern action in matters concerning the city layout, and should not repeat the mistakes committed by the Jakarta city administration, which only rushes into action after ugly buildings have mushroomed all over the place.

HARSONO SUDIJONO

Depok, West Java