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)