Tangerang councillors reject reclamation

Tangerang councillors reject reclamation

TANGERANG: City Councillors refused on Thursday a plan by real
estate developer PT Parung Harapan to reclaim 150 hectares of the
coastline for the construction of Pantai Mutiara Dadap Estate in
Dadap subdistrict, Kosambi district, Tangerang, as it could cause
environmental damage.

Purwandi, a councillor from the National Mandate Party (PAN),
said that the reclamation could damage the coastal ecosystem.

"There is still other land that can be used. Our country is
not like Singapore or Hong Kong, which must reclaim coastal areas
because of limited space," he said.

Councillor Sys Abdul Gani of the National Awakening Party
(PKB) said that the Tangerang administration must conduct a
feasibility study to assess the potential negative impacts from
the reclamation. He also called on the developer to conduct the
Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal) first, as is required by
law.

"The administration must conduct the study first before the
reclamation is approved. What will happen to the beach if it is
reclaimed? The beach is a natural buffer zone," he said.

Head of the City Planning Agency Nanang Komara declined to
comment on the issue.

"I was not there when the developer presented its plan," he
said. -- JP