Locals complain about unclear Canal project

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Residents whose land and buildings will be affected by the 23- kilometer East Flood Canal have complained about the sluggish and uncertain process of the project.

While the residents were advised not to construct any buildings on their land or to renovate their houses, it is not clear when the land will be acquired for the project, said residents of the Pulo Gebang subdistrict in North Jakarta.

"Frankly speaking, if I had the choice I would prefer to stay here. But if the government goes ahead with the plan, I want to know for certain when we will have to move," said Sutinah, 42, whose house is built on an 83-square-meter plot of land.

Sutinah said government officers came to measure her land in the middle of last year. But since then there has been only one meeting between residents and the officers.

"During the meeting last year, we were informed that we should not construct any buildings or renovate our houses because we would not be compensated for the new construction. But until now, there has been no follow-up to the meeting," she said last week.

The Rp 12 billion (US$1.2 billion) project has become a priority of both the central government and the city administration to solve the flooding in the capital. Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said the land should be cleared by the end of this year.

The governor said it would require some Rp 1.3 trillion to clear the 250 hectares of land needed for the project.

But Leo Sianturi, the head of the technical section in the City Public Works Agency's water resource department, said neither the central government nor the city administration had allocated any funds for the project.

Jasin, 41, a staff member in Pulo Gebang's neighborhood unit, said many residents had asked him about the project.

He added that some of the residents needed to repair their houses to prevent rain water from entering their homes.

"I think the residents are now free to build new buildings, and we will ask for compensation if the government goes ahead with its plan to build the flood canal," said Jasin, who was born in the area.

According to Jasin, some 500 families in Pulo Gebang will be affected by the project.

Several people in the subdistrict said residents had rejected the government's compensation offer of about Rp 450,000 per square meter of land. The offer was based on the price of taxed properties. The residents demanded compensation of Rp 1 million per square meter.

The East Flood Canal is part of the government's plan to build a half-circle canal along the northern part of the city, which will take in water from the 13 rivers in the capital and empty out into the Java Sea off North Jakarta.

The East Flood Canal will join the 14-kilometer West Flood Canal, constructed in 1924 by the Dutch colonial government.