CONTROVERSY OVER JAKARTA BAY RECLAMATION PROJECT CONTINUES by Fardah

Jakarta, Sept 15, 2016 (Antara) - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan's statement on the resumption of G Island's reclamation, which is part of the multi-trillion rupiah Jakarta Bay reclamation project, has again triggered controversy.

         The decision to resume the G Island's reclamation has been seen contradictory to a verdict issued by the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) on May 31, 2016, that had cancelled the permit for the development of G Island among other things because of a problem concerning environmental impact assessment of the project.

         Those who are against the Jakarta Bay reclamation project believe the project could potentially damage the environment and disrupt the livelihood of local traditional farmers for the interest of property investors.

         One of serious questions often asked is from where the sand, coral and other solid materials needed for building the man-made islands in the Jakarta Bay will be sourced. Massive sand and coral mining will endanger or even make an island and several islets vanish.

         Because the Jakarta Bay project is relatively close to the Thousand Islands (Kepulauan Seribu), several environmentalists suspect the reclamation project might source sand and coral from the Thousand Islands and as a result it might lead to disappearance of several islets in the area.  

    Besides, the reclamation project, which is often cited as a solution for land shortage in Jakarta, is considered contradictory to the ambitions of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to develop Indonesia into a global maritime axis.

         In addition, reclamation usually includes removal of local coastal inhabitants, and that is a threat to the national security, because the livelihood of the coastal community in fact helps protect national sovereignty and territory.

         For an archipelagic nation with thousands of islands scattered across the ocean, the presence of a coastal community, mostly comprising of traditional fishermen, is crucial for helping protect the country's sovereignty.

         Therefore, Jakarta's traditional fishermen should be seen more than just underprivileged inhabitants living in slum areas in the modern capital city, as they are also the nation's assets that help guard the country's territory.

         Minister Pandjaitan, however, has cited three points as reasons for his decision to resume the G Island reclamation project in the northern Jakarta coast.

        First, he claims that this project is in the national interest and the interest of Jakarta.

        The reclamation, in line with a decree issued by the then President Soeharto, will be continued because the giant sea wall of Jakarta Bay has subsided, he explained. "It has subsided 7.5 cm annually," he added.

         Second, the reclamation is needed for water resources through a dam, according to the minister.

          "When the dam is ready, based on a study stating two meters below salt water, the rest of water could be processed into drinking water," he said, adding that "At least 45 cubic meters per second could be pumped underneath. It's around 40 percent of our water demand."
    Third, the reclamation is needed to prevent sea water flooding, he stated.

        "This is a technical issue. People who do not understand it, might think something else," he noted.

         Therefore, he believes there is no reason not to continue with the project.  
     He earlier stated that based on the results of evaluation and discussions he held over the past month, it was concluded that the project neither posed any legal problem, nor did it have any environmental impact.

         "We studied all possibilities of an impact in legal, as well as environmental terms. The PLN (state utility company) also does not have any problem with it," he added.

        Luhut said the decision was also in view of the government's investment policy.

        Furthermore,  he said the government will take good care of some 12 thousand fishermen on the northern coast of Jakarta who will be affected by the resumption of the reclamation project.

        In accordance with an order from President Joko Widodo, the fate of 12 thousand fishermen on the northern coast of Jakarta affected by the reclamation project is a major concern for the government, he said.

        The Jakarta Provincial Government also stated that the fishermen will get flats for shelter, 1,900 boats which are able to sail up to the Natuna Islands and the provision of clean water.

        The government, he clarified, will be consistent in implementing Presidential Decree Number 52, 1995, which is the basis for the reclamation project. The decree made it clear that the reclamation authority and responsibility was in the hands of the Jakarta governor.

        In the meantime, the Executive Body of Indonesia University Students (BEM UI) and the Forum of Muara Angke Community Solidarity in North Jakarta, staged a rally on Sept. 13 in protest of the decision to resume the Jakarta Bay reclamation projects.

        Jakarta Bay is an ecosystem and public space that must not be privatized merely for the interest of business, the Chairman of BEM UI Arya Ardiansyah said.

        "Therefore, we declare that we reject the Jakarta Bay reclamation and demand the government to take stern action to stop all reclamation projects in Jakarta Bay," he stated.    
    The resumption is against the Jakarta Administrative Court (PTUN) verdict issued on May 31, 2016 that ordered the project be stopped, the students added.   
   The unilateral decision ignored the impact on the livelihood of local fishermen, as the project will affect their income, he added.

        Besides, the government is neglectful and not open about the environmental impact assessment of the reclamation project, he added.

         As a critical partner of the government, BEM UI 2016 will remain against the Jakarta Bay reclamation project for the sake of justice prevailing in the country, he stated.

        "We want the government to side with the ordinary people," he remarked.  
   On June 30, 2016, the then coordinating minister for maritime affairs, Minister Rizal Ramli had announced the cancellation of the G Island reclamation project in Jakarta Bay, saying that its implementation was a serious offense.

         The project would endanger the environment, sea traffic, and vital projects, Ramli informed the press.

         Ramli noted that the project being developed by PT Muara Wisesa Samudera, a subsidiary of PT Agung Podomoro Land, was categorized as a serious offense, as the state electricity company PT PLN's electrical cables ran under the island project's site.

        It was also decided that during the implementation of C, D, and N island projects, some moderate offenses had been committed by the developers and were required to only conduct minor repairs and dismantling.

          The C and D islands, which are almost a single land mass, need to be separated by a canal that is at least 100 meters wide and at least eight meters deep to facilitate the movement of vessels.

        The N island, which is part of the Kalibaru port project of state-owned port operator Pelindo II, was considered to be a technical environmental offense.

          "The developer has agreed to mend the damage, so the implementation of the project is allowed to continue," Ramli affirmed.

    (F001/INE)
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 15-09-2016 18:06:56