T

he Jakarta administration is targeting to relocate more than 1,000 households before it begins a massive project to dredge the capital’s main waterways in September.

Andi Baso, a top official responsible for resident relocation, said on Tuesday that 1,109 families living on or near riverbanks needed to be relocated before the project could begin.

“Our plan is to start the project in the end of September, so the affected families have to move out before September,” Andi, the former head of the infrastructure bureau who was recently promoted to chief of the Energy and Industry Agency,

The official said that the administration still needed to verify number of affected families. “The current number is not accurate. It could be more, it could be less,” Andi said.

The administration is offering to relocate affected residents to subsidized apartments or to return them to their hometowns.

Andi said that all apartments would be ready for the relocated families. The administration would also ease access to schools for children and employment for adults.

The affected families are located in six locations along a number of waterways including the Upper Sunter Floodway; the Pakin, Kali Besar and Jelakeng rivers; the Krukut and Cideng rivers; the
West Flood Canal; the Sunter Utara River; and the Sentiong and Sunter rivers.

The US$190 million project is expected to begin by October this year, and will involve dike work and dredging along 11 canals and four reservoirs in five years, financed mostly by a loan from the World Bank.

The World Bank has provided a loan of $139.64 million, and the central government and the city administration will chip in a total of $49.71 million.

The project will dredge 67.5 kilometers of waterways and 65 hectares of retention basins, to restore
them to their original operating capacities. The project will also reinforce 42 kilometers of embankments.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said that while all efforts would be made to minimize damage to the affected residents, any unavoidable resettlement would be involuntary and adhere to the Resettlement Policy Framework approved by the World Bank.

According to the international financial institution, the framework was consistent with international best practices for involuntary resettlement.

Stefan Koeberle, World Bank country director for Indonesia, said that the project marked the World Bank’s first engagement with the Jakarta administration in helping solve the capital city’s complex flood and urban development issues.

The project also introduced a new funding arrangement, which allows the Indonesian government to finance projects led by provincial governments.

— JP/Andreas D. Arditya