'No need to delay reclamation'

'No need to delay reclamation'

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja hinted Wednesday that
reclamation projects in North Jakarta need not be postponed until
a currently underway environmental impact analysis was completed.

Legislator Muhammad Buang said recently that ongoing projects
should be adjusted to meet the recommendations of the regional
environmental impact study, or postponed if they were
incompatible with it.

Housing and office site projects are being developed by
private firms. The city is also preparing to reclaim 2,700
hectares.

Legislators said they feared environmental damage could occur
if projects began before the regional environmental impact study
was completed.

Surjadi said the city's project could be done at the same time
as the ongoing study.

"The project has been carefully planned by experts, including
the environmental impact assessment. Even though all the details
have not been finalized, we can make (preparations)
simultaneously."

The work was not easy and took time, he said.

"If we have to wait until the environmental impact analysis is
completed before we start the project, it could take a very long
time," he said.

Buang, deputy of chairman of Commission X for environment,
said reclamation projects had to be postponed to avoid giving the
impression that when completed the regional study would only
justify ongoing projects.

The head of the City's Development Planning Board, Budihardjo
Sukmadi, said the currently underway projects had been given
permits on the backs of their respective environmental impact
studies.

In 1995 President Soeharto issued an instruction on
reclamation in North Jakarta. It said a regional environmental
impact study was needed. (anr/ste)