Untung Jawa island people want sand mining halted
Untung Jawa island people want sand mining halted
JAKARTA (JP): Residents of the Untung Jawa island in North
Jakarta fear that sand quarrying in nearby waters will eventually
cause the island to sink.
Supriadi, a spokesman for the residents said that the
residents had asked the local authorities several times to have
the activity stopped, "but there has been no response from the
authorities".
"The waves have become larger and the shoreline closer,"
another resident said.
The Untung Jawa island is part of the Seribu Island's national
park, which was set up to mainly protect the area's mangroves.
The municipality officially banned sand quarrying in the
Seribu Islands in 1992.
However dredging continues, with permits from the Tangerang
administration which claims the quarry site is in West Java.
Untung Jawa is the nearest island of the Seribu Island chain
to Teluk Naga district in Tangerang.
The reclamation of 4,000 hectares of shoreline in Teluk Naga
for the development of a tourist resort, housing and shopping
center has also drawn criticism, especially from
environmentalists.
In the last two years Untung Jawa island has become a popular
recreational spot for Tangerang residents. Swimming in the fairly
clean waters is one of the attractions.
The district head of Seribu Islands, Djupri, said yesterday
the sand dredging activities are not dangerous.
"The sand quarrying does not take place near the islands
(within the Jakarta administration)," he told The Jakarta Post
yesterday.
After mass prayers on the island on Friday, residents took the
problem up again with Djupri's deputy, Kasno.
Ambas, the deputy subdistrict head, said the activities began
five years ago. A number of ships operate 24 hours a day, going
back and forth from the quarrying site to the North Jakarta
coast.
Stall owners on the Untung Jawa island said they have had to
move their stalls further inland. They pointed to the former
shoreline more than a meter away from their stalls.
Residents said the quarrying is for golf courses in North
Jakarta.
The problem also surfaced during discussions between residents
and 21 students, who were on a camping trip over the weekend.
The camping trip was organized by an environmental
organization, Yayasan Laut Lestari Indonesia.
Led by Elshinta Suyoso, the foundation held its second camping
trip to encourage environmental awareness among young people. The
first was held last year in Marunda, also North Jakarta.
Adi Pamadi, the foundation's executive director, said the
organization's latest study of the Seribu Islands revealed that
sand dredging in several sites had led to environmental
degradation in both North Jakarta and Tangerang.
"The shoreline in Mauk, Tangerang, has also receded," Adi
said.
Four small islands, including the Ubi Kecil, started
disappearing when dredging was conducted at the Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport in Cengkareng, he said.
In September councilors expressed concern over sand dredging
near another island in the Seribu Island, Laki island. The sand
was for the reclamation of part of the Ancol Timur shoreline, a
Rp 1 trillion project by PT Manggala Karya Yudha and state-owned
port company PT Pelindo II.
In January, dredging was also being done near the Opak Besar
island.
The Untung Jawa island is the least populated in the Seribu
Islands, with only 339 families living on it. (anr)