Semanggi to become Jakarta's green symbol

Semanggi to become Jakarta's green symbol

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso outlined his vision yesterday
of developing Semanggi cloverleaf, one of the city's landmarks,
as a symbol for the greening of Jakarta.

Sutiyoso met the city's five mayors and other officials
yesterday to promote his vision of a green city.

The head of the city parks agency, Syamsir Alam, told
reporters after the meeting that the governor wanted Semanggi to
be planted with large trees, grass and flowers.

He said Semanggi had been chosen "because the site can easily
be seen by many people".

Sutiyoso instructed city officials yesterday to start work on
Semanggi as a pilot project, he said.

He said Sutiyoso also urged officials to plant large trees
along Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Jendral Sudirman, which passes through
the Semanggi cloverleaf.

Syamsir said the city faced a hurdle in that there was no
industry for transplanting large trees.

"That's why the municipality has invited businesspeople to get
involved in the greening-movement project."

He said that at yesterday's meeting the governor asked the
mayors to support the movement and encourage residents in their
areas to plant trees.

Syamsir said the goal of the project was make 30 percent of
the capital's 65,000 hectares green areas.

However, Syamsir once said Jakarta could only afford to spare
15 percent of its total area for trees because reverting
residential areas into parks would cost too much.

Jakarta's parks have dwindled to 5 percent, or 3,250 hectares,
of the city's land, he said.

Syamsir said yesterday that since taking office the governor
had frequently urged people to plant trees on their properties.

By last year, Jakarta claimed to have planted 3.47 million
trees, exceeding the three million target. (ind)