R

esidents of the banks of Ciliwung in Kampung Pulo, East Jakarta and the Jakarta administration are currently drafting a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to legalize their previous verbal agreement to build a low-cost apartment complex over their residence in Kampung Pulo.

After a recent meeting with NGO Sanggar Ciliwung Merdeka, which aims to empower residents of Ciliwung'€™s banks, Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama agreed to compensate residents whose land was affected by normalization of the river with another property.

Ciliwung Merdeka leader Sandyawan Sumardi said that the previous understanding between Kampung Pulo residents and the city administration had not been legalized through a written agreement.

'€œThe residents are currently drafting an agreement to legalize the previous understanding with the city administration. Hopefully we can finish drafting by the end of the week,'€ Sandyawan said over the phone on Monday.

Previously, the city administration had agreed to the NGO'€™s apartment complex design, called Kampung Susun (elevated villages), which would be built elevated above the river bank so below the building would still provide space for a water catchment area. Under the agreement, the residents will not have to be relocated to low-cost apartments elsewhere in the city.

The apartments are expected to be able to accommodate 4,500 families; Kampung Pulo is currently home to 3,809 families.

Residents with legal documents of ownership of lands and houses will get units of apartments while those who do not have land and houses will still be able to rent the apartments. While the Kampung Susun was being built, residents would be temporarily relocated to the nearby Jatinegara Barat rebtak low-cost apartment (rusunawa) in East Jakarta.

Sandyawan went on to say that the relocation would not be carried out before MoA was signed by both the residents of Kampung Pulo and the Jakarta administration.

'€œWe want the MoA to be signed before the relocation because the residents are worried that they would not receive their rights,'€ he said.

The city administration previously insisted that all settlements on river banks, including those in Kampung Pulo, were illegal and planned to relocate all riverbank dwellers to Jatinegara rusunawa without compensation.

City Council budgetary committee member M. Syarif lauded the deal, saying that it should be a model for other evictions.

'€œResidents should not be relocated far away from their homes,'€ he said on the sidelines of a post-Idul Fitri gathering event at the Governor'€™s official residence in Menteng, Central Jakarta, recently.

He added that the Council would definitely approve should the city administration propose budget to build apartments for the relocated residents of Kampung Pulo.

Separately, Housing and Government Building Agency head Ika Lestari Aji said that she would meet the residents this week for further technical discussions on the relocation and the development of the low-cost apartment complex.

Further, Ika said that she targeted the temporary relocation to be completed in August.

'€œWe will begin relocation soon. Hopefully we can complete relocation by the end of August,'€ Ika said after a meeting at City Hall on Monday.