Reclamation halted on resort island
Reclamation halted on resort island
JAKARTA (JP): The North Jakarta mayoralty has ordered a stop
to reclamation work on Air resort island in the popular Thousand
Islands chain in Jakarta Bay due to a lack of required permits.
Mayor Soebagio said on Sunday he had ordered Air's owner --
noted businessman and hotelier Pontjo Sutowo -- to stop
reclamation of the island, which has been extended from 4.8
hectares to about 10 hectares, until he acquired the documents.
Soebagio did not disclose when he issued the order.
"It was about one or two weeks ago," he told the media.
He said Pontjo needed at least four documents before he could
restart development of the island in Panggang subdistrict.
"The four documents consist of the Environmental Impact
Analysis issued by the Environmental Impact Management Agency
(Bapedal) and licenses for reclamation and dock construction from
the transportation ministry, and the land appropriation permit,"
he said after attending the launching of the Sea Cleaning program
at Pramuka island in Panggang subdistrict.
His office, he said, had also discovered that sand quarrying
for Air's reclamation contributed significantly to the
disappearance of several islands in the chain in recent years.
Quarrying had also destroyed the coral reef ringing the
island, Soebagio added.
Ponco could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
Jakarta's deputy governor for economic and development
affairs, Boedihardjo Soekmadi, confirmed the suspension of the
reclamation work.
He said the city administration was considering the
possibility of fining Pontjo, who is also chairman of the
Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI).
"Carrying out reclamation work has its own regulations. He
would then certainly be fined according to the existing rule,"
Boedihardjo said at Sunday's event.
Many of the Thousand Islands -- actually consisting of about
110 islands -- are owned by wealthy private citizens. Several
islands -- including Ayer, Puteri, Bidadari, Bira Besar and Bira
Kecil -- have been developed into massive resort projects.
Pontjo's Air island is situated near Marina Ancol. It is among
the most famous of Jakarta's island resorts, equipped with
restaurants, cottages and sports facilities.
Local media quoted the head of North Jakarta public order
office, Boy Firman S. in August as saying that Pontjo, who
reportedly only possessed a permit to build a dock at the site,
had made vast development of Air in the past two years.
The media quoted a source as saying that the permit was issued
by the Directorate General for Forest Protection and Natural
Preservation upon the recommendation of the National Institute of
Sciences (LIPI).
According to Soebagio, 18 of 25 islands earmarked for
development were still awaiting the issuance of permits. (ivy)