Land disputes hinder Jatigede reservoir project

Land disputes hinder Jatigede reservoir project

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post/Sumedang

Darya still tends to his sheep and crops on his land located
along the edge of a slope which is supposed to become part of dam
in the Jatigede area of Sumedang regency, West Java.

The 70-year-old man has never considered moving from the
place, despite with the government's plan to start constructing
the Jatigede dam next year. Moreover, the old farmer does not
even know how much the government intends to pay him for his one-
hectare farm.

The government did acquire half of his land, then owned by
Darya's father, in 1970. "At that time, the government had
acquired half of the land owned by my father at Rp 400 (four U.S.
cents) per square meter in 1970," he said.

Under the plan, the reservoir that will be created by the dam
is expected to hold nearly 1 billion cubic meters of water.

The manager of the project, Jaja Somantri Widjaja acknowledged
that there were still 3,900 families such as Darya who have yet
to be compensated, especially in the areas near the lower parts
of the prospective reservoir.

Although more than 1,000 families have received compensation
for their land and moved to other places, some have actually
moved back on to the land that the government already paid them
for, due to the unsure realization of the project.

"The process of land acquisition is delicate, because many of
them have refused to sell their land. But we have a new paradigm;
compensating them according to the current price of land in the
area," said Jaja.

Land acquisition has long been a problem since the initiation
of the project during former president Soekarno's era in 1963.

The government was prompted to construct the reservoir due to
water shortages faced by thousands of farmers within the rice-
growing areas of the north coast of the province during the
drought. Particularly in places like Indramayu, Cirebon,
Majalengka and Sumedang regencies.

Based on available statistics, rice plantation areas would
increase from 90 million hectares to 130 million hectares if the
project is completed.

Moreover, the available water from the reservoir can add to
the number of planting seasons, from one or two times a year, to
three times annually. The state electricity company PLN also has
plans to install a turbine in the dam, which can generate around
175 megawatts of power.

The project's activities once again made the news a few months
ago when hundreds of construction workers finished building a
block of houses for project officials and the site office in
Jatigede village. However, the problem of land acquisition still
remains.

The government, through the Ministry of Public Works, has
decided to earmark Rp 120 billion in 2006 to start the initial
stage of the project by constructing an 800-meter long aqueduct
that will be 10 meters wide.

However, residents grouped in the Jatigede Awareness Forum
(FPJ) have still refused to sell their land.

FPJ leader, Taryana, estimated that less than 10 percent of
local residents living in the areas that would subsequently be
submerged in water could afford to relocate from the area because
of the meager amount of compensation. He added that it would not
enable them to buy land in other areas.

"Previously, a tumbak (14 square meters) of land was only
worth Rp 100,000. Now with the price of land reaching an average
of Rp 600,000 per tumbak, the government should compensate
residents at a margin based on the current price," said Taryana.

Moreover, Sumedang farmers argue that the reservoir would not
be of much benefit to them because its water would flow to other
areas.

Meanwhile, Sumedang Regent Don Murdono said the government
could not compensate them for the land, which had already been
sold by residents years ago, since it had been officially bought
by the government.

"Let's look to the future. The project will also benefit
Sumedang residents. Besides serving as a clean water source for
the local tap water company, it can also be developed into a
recreational area," said Don.

Separately, the Indonesian Historical Society (MSI) stated
there were 25 historical sites threatened by the reservoir,
including the Leuwi, Nangewer, Pasir Limus, Nangkod and Muhara
historical sites located in five districts.

Head of the West Java chapter of MSI, Nina Lubis, said the
sites had strong historical value for the Sundanese people since
they were the origins of the kingdoms in West Java previously,
such as the Tembang Agung kingdom; the derivation of the Sumedang
Larang kingdom in the 9th century.

"To lose those sites would mean another missing link to the
Sundanese history," Nina said.

The Sundanese Environmental Resources Promotion Observation
Council (DPKLTS) estimates the project will displace 41,000
people, submerge around 1,200 hectares of forest, and Rp 1
trillion worth of rice and tobacco fields on 3,100 hectares.

"More importantly, thousands of plant and animal species will
become extinct," claimed Sobirin of DPKLTS.

Instead of going on with the construction, he argued that the
government should revitalize the role of the rivers in the
Cimanuk area, which have been a source of water for rice fields
in West Java's north coast area for many decades.

"Unfavorable conditions in the upstream areas, due to the lack
of catchment areas, means that 75 percent of the water flows
directly into the sea. Why don't we restore the upstream areas to
prevent floods during rainy season and drought in the dry
season," said Sobirin.

However, regardless of the protestations, the government seems
undeterred.

"Like it or not, the government is determined to finish this
project. Only time will tell," said Jaja.