Sutiyoso backs cleanup drive for Jakarta Bay

Sutiyoso backs cleanup drive for Jakarta Bay

JAKARTA (JP): Noting Jakarta Bay was the city's gateway,
Governor Sutiyoso said on Wednesday that cleaning up its waters
would boost the capital's appeal as a service city.

"I hope Jakarta Bay can be turned into a beautiful bay just
like Baltimore Bay in the United States or Tokyo Bay in Japan,"
he said in his opening address to a workshop on the bay's
management.

"A beautiful Jakarta Bay will boost the image of Jakarta as a
service city, including its tourist sector."

The two-day workshop is organized by the City Development
Planning Board and the City Environmental Impact Management
Agency to formulate a comprehensive strategy in developing and
managing the bay.

Sutiyoso said the bay covered an area of 2,500 hectares and
stretched 32 kilometers from east to west. It reaches the outer
12 miles of Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Island marine resort) to
the north.

He lamented the bay was what he termed a "giant garbage dump".

"It's just like a supermarket because city residents throw
everything into the rivers, which empty into the bay. We have to
change the residents' habits." He added that irresponsible
dumping of garbage increased the risk of flooding.

The governor said it was hard for the city administration on
its own to solve the garbage problem in the bay.

Minister of Maritime Exploration Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said it
was important to have a comprehensive approach to developing and
managing the bay.

"The Jakarta Bay's development and management are a complex
issue because numerous agencies are involved, each with their own
competence," he said in his address.

"It is also important to apply a sustainable development
concept and to involve residents as shareholders. This way,
residents won't damage the bay, which is actually theirs."

City residents should be involved from the earliest stages of
a development plan, he added.

Sarwono said planning for coastal areas and small islands was
the responsibility of his ministry.

"We have reached an agreement with the Ministry of Settlement
and Regional Development to transfer the responsibility. The city
administration can ask for assistance from the Directorate
General of Coastal Areas and Small Islands at the Ministry of
Maritime Exploration," he said.

He said it was a pity that Indonesia, the largest archipelago
in the world with 17,508 islands and with the second longest
coastline of 81,000 kilometers, still lacked a policy on managing
its maritime resources.

"It was not until late 1999 the central government established
the Indonesian Maritime Council to formulate maritime policies." He
said he would facilitate maritime activities through his position
as the council's executive chairman.

Sarwono emphasized that all solutions to managing the bay
should be formulated with a long-term and comprehensive focus.

"We should think beyond the existing rules to anticipate
future opportunities. We also must be flexible in establishing
regulations."

Sutiyoso said later the city administration would relocate
people living along riverbanks.

"We'll place them in apartments, to be built along the
rivers," he said.

Apartment would avoid the development of new slums on
riverbanks and provide a beautiful view of the city, he added.

"This resettlement will allow the city administration to widen
the rivers to their original width of 60 meters to 70 meters.
Currently, the rivers are 15 meters to 20 meters wide because of
illegal reclamation activities conducted by residents," he said.

He revealed that Minister of Settlement and Regional
Development Erna Witoelar agreed to fund construction of flood
prevention facilities in Jakarta.

"I have also coordinated with West Java Governor H.R. Nuriana
to manage 13 rivers that run through both provinces. More dams
will be built in West Java to control the flow of riverwater to
Jakarta," he added. (05)