Reclamation project study 'still in process'
Reclamation project study 'still in process'
JAKARTA (JP): The chairman of the North Jakarta Reclamation
Project board said yesterday he had not been informed of the
rejection of any of the project's regional environmental impact
studies.
M. Sidharta, was responding to yesterday's report in the
Bisnis Indonesia daily that the Environmental Impact Management
Agency, Bapedal, had rejected the project's initial regional
environmental impact study.
"We don't know about the rejection. We haven't finished the
whole study yet," Sidharta said. As far as he was aware the
outline study had been approved.
He said the final regional environmental impact study was
scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
The newspaper quoted Bapedal's deputy chairman in charge of
environmental impact studies, P.L. Coutrier, as saying the study
had to be rejected because it did not meet the necessary
technical requirements.
A regional environmental impact study for the 2,700-hectare
project in the Jakarta Bay was made compulsory in a 1995
presidential instruction. It stated the municipality had sole
responsibility for the project, which is estimated to be
completed in 2010.
Coutrier added Bapedal's repeated suggestions that the
municipality hire a professional consultant to undertake the
environmental impact study had been ignored.
Sidharta said the board had consulted experts but did not name
anyone.
"We consulted Bapedal and the Bandung-based Institute of
Technology to find a long-term consultant. But we haven't
appointed a professional consultant," Sidharta said.
The city's project, which consists of building residential and
business properties, and recreational and tourist attractions, is
to stretch 32 kilometers along the Jakarta Bay, from Pluit in the
west to Cilincing in the east.
Observers, legislators and councilors have raised concerns
over the environmental impact and flooding potential, of ongoing
and planned reclamation projects.
At least six separate projects had begun before the 1995
presidential instruction was issued, when only individual studies
were compulsory for each project.
The developers were given permits to begin work in line with
their respective environmental impact studies. They now have to
meet the regional environmental impact requirements.
The companies included PT Mandira Permai, which developed the
Pantai Indah Kapuk waterfront project. The company had to revise
its environment impact study after it was blamed for the flooding
of the toll road leading to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
One proposed project which must comply with the regional
environment study for the reclamation plan, was submitted by
Anthony Salim. The vice president of the Salim business group
signed a memorandum of understanding at City Hall last month to
reclaim 600 hectares for a mixed development project. (ste)