On environment and city planning
On environment and city planning
The permit for Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) -- a luxury housing
estate in Hutan Angke Kapuk, West Jakarta -- is going to be
reviewed by an independent panel, which will be soon be formed by
the Jakarta Governor, Sutiyoso. The team will investigate how far
the PIK developer has violated its building permit.
The 1,144 hectare mangrove forest in the area, before it was
transformed into a housing estate, golf course and recreational
facilities, used to intercept around 9 million cubic metres of
water. But today the area no longer functions as a filter for the
intrusion of sea water or as a stabilizer during high tide or
floods.
Instead of the 175-hectare area, that the housing permit was
originally issued for in 1982, the area has now swollen to 543.69
hectares, while the area allotted for recreational and sports
facilities has also increased from 60 hectares to 72.05 hectares,
not including the 96.89-hectare golf course.
The protected mangrove swamp has shrunk from 100 hectares to
49.25 hectares, while the nature reserve has decreased from 65
hectares to 21.45 hectares and the 115-hectare supporting forest
is nonexistent.
If the PIK developer has committed any violation, then it will
serve as an example of how we have treated the environment, city
planning and conservation.
The Minister for Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure has
initiated a prudent measure by halting all housing construction
projects in Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi for a six month
period.
As a sanction, this revocation of a building permit is
certainly appropriate. Yet, the most important thing is to
restore the function of the natural environment. Demolishing all
buildings is obviously unrealistic, except for a golf course
whose function is easy to restore to that of a catchment area.
A reasonable option -- except for revoking the permits of
real estates and golf courses -- is to oblige all developers to
build flood control facilities such as dikes and water channels.
-- Republika, Jakarta