The East Flood Canal, one of the city administration’s efforts to tackle the constant problem of floods, finally reached the sea last Thursday, just before year-end.
The 23.4-kilometer canal runs through 13 subdistricts in East and North Jakarta and took over three decades to plan and build, with most of the delays being attributed to land procurement issues.
In 2008, for example, the city administrations managed to complete only 70 percent of the targeted 250 hectares needed for the project.
Last week’s digging up of the street blocking the canal’s path to the sea was a sign the project had reached another milestone. However, several problems, including land procurement issues, still dogged the project a day after the street was dug up.
On Friday, two roughly-built brick houses stood between the street and the opening into the sea.
Sihombing, the owner of one of the houses, said he had received money from authorities to procure his house the night before.
“We were asked to come to the municipality office and were given the money last night,” he said.
Sihombing said he was one of many summoned that night.
Prior to receiving the money, he had refused to leave his house, despite the fact that it, along with the other one, stood alone at the edge of the canal.
Sihombing said authorities only paid for his house, and not for the land on which it was built, because he did not own the land and did not know who does.
Additional projects to enhance the canal’s construction will have similar effects on residents living near it.
Jayadi, a Marunda resident who lives a few meters from the canal’s opening to the sea, said he, along with other neighborhood residents, expects to be evicted from the area soon.
“They are planning to build a green belt along the canal that will come through here,” he said, gesturing to the area where most its residents work as fishermen.
Jayadi said he and other area residents had scant idea on what their future is going to be if they not to live there anymore.
“We are fishermen, so we have to live near the sea,” he said.
He said other coastal areas such as Cilincing were already too densely populated, thus preventing him or other residents from relocating there.
Head of the Public Works Ministry’s Ciliwung-Cisadane Flood Bureau, Pitoyo Subandrio, confirmed upcoming canal projects would include a green area.
“We will focus on completing the canal [before planting the green area],” he said.
There are several spots along its length where the canal is only 15 meters wide, while the targeted average width is 75 meters.
Jasri, a motorcycle taxi driver who have been living in the Sungai Tirem area in Marunda for 14 years, said residents in his neighborhood also faced the eventuality of having to move out of the area.
Jayadi and Jasri both said they were not aware of who owned the land they built their houses on. “Many have claimed the land belonged to them. This is disputed land,” Jayadi said. (dis)
