T

he city has started to reclaim inspection roads for the capital'€™s rivers, forcing the demolition of a number of buildings along Jl. MH Thamrin, among others.

According to the Construction, Supervision and Regulation Agency (P2B), one of the inspection roads in question is along the Cideng drain on the Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta.

The Cideng drain is among 13 extensive dredging projects, also called the Jakarta Emergency Dredging Initiative (JEDI), funded by the World Bank.

Head of the P2B, I Putu Ngurah Indiana, said that the city administration aimed to build inspection roads along all rivers in the capital.

'€œAll rivers are expected to have inspection roads to enable access to dredge the rivers. We understand that many buildings were built before the new regulation was introduced. In that case, we will have to acquire the land, except for high-rise buildings,'€ he said recently.

Putu added that the inspection roads would also function as alternative routes during rush hour.

'€œPeople can access the inspection roads when the traffic is heavy,'€ he said.

A number of complexes dotted along the Cideng drain are separated from each other by a thick brick wall, blocking access for heavy equipment to dredge the drain that runs to Jl. Kebon Sirih.

Part of the inspection road on Jl. Kebon Sirih, for example, features a dead end in front of a big iron gate, which belongs to the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).

'€œWe are aware of the plan to make way for the inspection road. We have been told that the BPPT gate that connects the inspection road leading to the Millenium Hotel would be opened,'€ a security officer at BPPT, Sandi Pratama, said.

He said the gate was closed because the area had been used for waste management.

While the building managements will only face the demolition of some sections of wall, the iconic Jaya Pub will have to be completely relocated from its current position.

People passing the oldest pub in the capital, which was owned by senior Indonesian actress and actor couple Rima Melati and Frans Tumbuan, may be wondering about the future of the pub after a huge red notification board from P2B was erected on the side of the building. The board states that the building had been sealed because it violated Gubernatorial Decree no. 128/2012 on building construction.

Jaya Pub manager Ardianto Airlangga said the pub, which was known for its vintage interior and long time loyal expatriate customers, had been relocated to the second floor of a building a few meters away.

'€œOf course, it [the relocation] is hard to accept because we have been here for almost 39 years. But, we understand that it is for the greater good, knowing Thamrin is infamous for flooding. We hope the city administration can commence dredging soon,'€ he told The Jakarta Post recently.