Legislators caution city administration on coastal projects

JAKARTA (JP): Ongoing projects in North Jakarta should be adjusted to meet the recommendations of the currently underway regional environment impact study, or stopped temporarily if they are incompatible with it, legislators said.

Muhammad Buang of Commission X of the House of Representatives for environment said yesterday this action was needed "to avoid the impression that the projects' environment impact studies would be justified by the regional study."

The study conducted jointly by the city and the Environment Impact Management Body, Bapedal, should be finished by the end of this year, Budihardjo, head of the city's development planning board said.

They were speaking at a meeting between commission members, and city officials on the development along North Jakarta's coast. This is being carried out in municipality and private developer's reclamation projects.

Observers and councilors had earlier raised concerns about the environmental impact, and flooding potential, of ongoing and planned reclamation projects.

Some of the private projects began before a presidential instruction was issued. The 1995 instruction ruled that a regional environmental impact study on reclamation projects in North Jakarta was required, and all later projects would have to follow its recommendations.

The firms that were given permits before this instruction was issued were only following the environment impact studies that were compulsory for individual projects.

These included a housing and business area project by PT Manggala Karya Yudha which is to reclaim 500 hectares of shoreline in East Ancol. The firm is working with state-owned port managing company PT Pelindo II, and the project is due to be completed 12 years from now. The firm's president is Siti Hutami E. Adiningsih, President Soeharto's youngest daughter.

Budihardjo said the other projects that were given permits before the 1995 instruction were PT Jaya Ancol, which is reclaiming 40 hectares; Pantai Mutiara, 150 hectares, Pantai Gading, 100 hectares and Pantai Hijau, 100 hectares.

PT Mandira Permai which developed the Pantai Indah Kapuk waterfront project, had its environment impact study revised, and subsequently the project, after it caused flooding of the toll road leading to the Soekarno-Hatta international airport.

After the meeting, Budihardjo said it would not be possible to stop the ongoing projects which had acquired permits. But they could be adjusted if necessary.

He said one of the projects given permits after the 1995 instruction was Anthony Salim's. He is involved in a project to reclaim 4,000 hectares of the Teluk Naga shoreline in Tangerang.

On April 14, Anthony, the Salim group's vice president, signed an MOU at City Hall on the city's reclamation project. He proposes to reclaim 600 hectares. Only a few other investors, including PT Jaya Ancol, have signed similar agreements.

M. Sidharta, who heads the Implementation Board of the North Jakarta Reclamation Project, BP Pantura, said environmental studies of current projects, and then the projects, would be adjusted to meet the recommendations or guidelines of the regional study.

Sidharta said investors who entered an agreement for the city's reclamation project would not violate the agreement.

The companies first have to ensure their proposals accepted by the city before they could enter more detailed development agreements with the city, he said. This could be expected at least six months after an MOU was signed.

The reclamation project is to increase the residential area, and make it an attractive business and recreational site. (anr/ste)