REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian Government through its Coordinating Minister of Maritime Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan had officially continued the mega project Jakarta Bay reclamation, after a moratorium by the previous minister Rizal Ramli. The government insisted to continue the Rp 4,000 trillion mult-iyear project as it had been negotiated by all ministries and it had been regulated since the Orde Baru era through the Presidential Decree No. 52 in 1995.

The project encouraged some pro-cons. A legal advisor of Coalition to Save Jakarta Bay (KSJT) Tigor Hutapea said the project would bring bad impacts to the environment around the location of reclamation.

“For example G Island causes water pollution around the reclamation area. Fishes cannot live there, impacted on the decrease of fishermen’s income,” he said to Republika.co.id on Wednesday (March 22).

Tigor said there were five expert witnesses and six fact witnesses in the trial. Three fact witnesses were Jakarta Bay fishermen and the three others were fishermen of North Serang, Banten.

The Jakarta Bay fishermen said that the reclamation had triggered water pollution. The Banten fishermen said the sands for reclamation were taken from Banten. As an impact, massive abrasion was happened in North Serang. About 750 hectares of milkfish land in impacted.

During the trial, the expert witnesses said lately the reclamation would worsen the flood disaster in Jakarta. The water flow from 13 rivers would be restrained by the reclamation islands. The alted sea waves would worsen the water quality.

Also read: Filing an appeal on reclamation verdict, KSTJ: Jakarta govt anti-criticism

Another bad impact was related to the waste resulted from the people in the islands after it became residences. It would influence Jakarta Bay water quality. It might also impact the ecosystem in Seribu Island.

Environmental expert Bambang Prabowo Soedarso said the reclamation project of Jakarta Bay could not be stopped. In a long term, the environmental impact analysis should involved a rigid calculation on the environmental, social, and economic impact of the ecosystem of reclamation project.

"They (fishermen) do not need to be relocated to other places, but to be made a special plot where Muara Angke insisted to be a place for fishermen,” said Bambang to Republika.co.id on Wednesday (March 23).

Bambang explained that there should be a project re-designing which included a documentary phase of environmental impact analysis.

In Canada, a similar reclamation project was protested. But finally it was accepted by the Canadian as the developer was able to make a better place for the fishermen. “So the fishermen were existed, they became more modern,” said him.

He also said the fishermen in Muara Angke did not need to be relocated because of the reclamation project. “Improve the settlement, do not make any person lose their job,” he said.

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