Trees in Cawang City Park Trimmed for Better External Visibility
Jakarta — East Jakarta City Government has conducted pruning and vegetation management at Cawang City Park in Kebon Pala, Makasar, to ensure the park is more clearly visible from the outside.
“We are conducting pruning and tidying of the interior to minimise obstruction of views from outside,” said Dwi Ponangsera, Head of the East Jakarta Parks and City Forests Sub-Office, at Cawang City Park on Friday.
According to Ponangsera, pruning does not mean felling trees, but rather trimming branches and twigs that are too dense to maintain optimal air circulation and natural lighting. Dense tree pruning has been focused along the outer perimeter fence of the park.
Additionally, this measure aims to ensure the park remains comfortable without reducing its ecological function.
“Today, we are pruning along the outer perimeter fence, with the target to complete it today,” Ponangsera said.
Joint personnel and assistance from General Infrastructure and Facilities Management Officers (PJLP) have been deployed to accelerate the pruning process.
Meanwhile, Makasar Subdistrict Head Dimas Prayudi explained that the reorganisation was a response to public concerns regarding safety risks in the park area, which was deemed too obscured from view.
By opening sightlines from the outside, it is hoped that public oversight functions can operate more effectively.
“Together with the Parks Sub-Office, the urban village, subdistrict, and the three-pillar community security framework, we are taking preventive measures so that this park can return to optimal condition, including through pruning to eliminate any hidden corners that could be misused,” Prayudi explained.
He stressed that city parks are intended to serve as public spaces for exercise, relaxation, and positive social interaction. Consequently, vegetation management has become an important aspect of creating a sense of security for residents.
In addition to pruning, East Jakarta City Government has also installed two floodlights in the Cawang City Park area.
Prayudi revealed that the floodlights were installed to ensure the park area is clearly visible from outside, particularly at night.
Beyond physical improvements, surveillance has been intensified through night operations involving the Municipal Civil Police (Satpol PP) and the three-pillar community security framework, comprising the military and national police. Regular operations begin at 21:00 local time to ensure the park remains conducive.
Previously, a video on Instagram account @ijoel went viral showing a group of young men entering the city park in the Cawang area through the perimeter fence.
“This park often becomes a gathering place for men, I’m not sure what they’re after, but every night after 01:00 in the morning, they gather and enter the park doing who knows what until 02:00,” said the person who recorded the video, as quoted on Instagram @ijoel.