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)