W

ith land acquisition problems now being ironed out, the city administration is upbeat it will be able to complete the construction of the East Flood Canal this year.

"We're currently working to settle the acquisition of the remaining land necessary, and upbeat about seeing the canal completed by the end of December," Deputy Governor Prijanto said Wednesday at a press conference.

As of Wednesday, the administration has acquired 96.7 percent of the total 785,982 square meters of land needed in North Jakarta, and 80 percent of the 1,784,213 square meters needed in East Jakarta for the construction of the canal.

Prijanto said much of the remaining land was currently in the acquisition stage, after landowners and the city administration had reached an agreement about the amount of the compensation.

"As for land and buildings for which no agreements have been reached, the courts will settle the issue through consignment," he said.

The consignment system, approved in April this year, grants East and North Jakarta district courts the power to decide the amount of money paid to owners of disputed land.

It allows the administration to continue with excavating the land and constructing the canal while the dispute is settled in court.

Pitoyo Subandrio, head of the Public Works Ministry's Ciliwung-Cisadane Flood Bureau and the person in charge of the canal construction, shared Prijanto's optimism, saying there would be no major technical hitches to stop contractors completing the canal on schedule.

"We can continue with the construction of some sections *of the canal* on land that has already been acquired, while we wait for the acquisition of the rest of the land to be completed," he said.

The East Flood Canal, passing through 13 subdistricts in East and North Jakarta, is designed to channel water from six major rivers in the city: Cipinang, Sunter, Buaran, Jatikramat, Cakung and Blencong.

Once completed, the 23.5-kilometer canal - which will be 10 meters deep and between 100 and 300 meters wide - is expected to control overflow from the rivers and reduce flooding across a 270-square-kilometer swath of eastern and northern Jakarta.

As part of the Rp 4.6 trillion (US$474 million) project, 25 overpasses, three dams and a floodgate will also be built, along with an inspection road.

The construction of the canal is currently being managed by eight contractors, including PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PP), PT Waskita Karya, PT Adhi Karya and PT Hutama Karya.

Most landowners still in deadlock with the administration claim the compensation offered is inadequate.

Sainul, who runs a small store from his home beside the Segara Makmur bridge, currently being built, in Marunda subdistrict, said he would stay put unless the administration upped its offer of Rp 30 million for his land.

"It's difficult these days to build a new house in Jakarta with that little money," he said.