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igration and the modernization of society have made their mark on the Condet Heritage Zone in East Jakarta, but locals are fighting to maintain their fading identity.

Condet was declared in 1974 as the zone for local fruit and Betawi (Jakarta native) art preservation by the City administration but, less than a generation later, the area has transformed from cultural village into just another suburban neighborhood.

Selected as environment coordinator for the Condet local fruit preservation area last year, resident Heri Prasetya has been trying to hold more activities and has asked residents to help maintain the 3.45 hectares of land owned by the city administration.

“We have also tried to raise people’s awareness about how important this field is for the identity of Condet,” he said.

Heri emphasized that the enthusiasm of local people would not mean much without help from the city administration, who he believes has yet to show concern for Condet as a local fruit heritage area.

“Even though a gubernatorial decree was recently issued, it feels like we are alone in this,” he said, referring to Gubernatorial Decree No. 646/2016 on the Development Acceleration of Condet Fruit Area as a Tourism Destination, signed by Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in March.

The decree demands a team be formed as soon as possible to accelerate development and stipulates a period of two years for the task.

Attempts were made by the city council to remove Condet from the heritage village list in 2005, citing that the city administration had failed to develop area.

To date, the 18,228 hectare area remains registered as a heritage zone.

Located close to The Ciliwung River, the area boasts various fruit species including salak (snake fruit), duku, durian and other fruits.

In the past, the district was known as a fruit-growing area and local traders usually transported their produce to Pasar Minggu Market in South Jakarta, which had once been famous for its huge fruit center.

The cultural and social change occuring in Condet has led to the degradation of the area, which used to be fresh and comfortable.

Like other suburban areas in the capital, the zone has transformed into a place with a dense population and frequent floods and traffic only add to its problems.

“I no longer see any difference between Condet and other areas in Jakarta,” Abdul Kodir, chairman of the Ciliwung Condet Community, said recently. “The city administration appears not to be aware of the 1974 decree.”

Abdul said he believed that the problem with preserving the area’s cultural heritage was the absence of the city administration’s “big plan” for Condet, citing the change of leadership every five to ten years as the main cause.

“Governors have been here, but I have yet to see any sign that they have shifted their concern into action,” he said.

In 2013, Jakarta’s then governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo visited Condet.

At the time, Jokowi said that the legal framework would be prepared by the city administration to ensure that the area could preserve its variety of fruit, adding that to support the cause building permits would no longer be issued.

Abdul met Ahok in 2015 and explained that Condet required the city administration’s help to maintain its heritage.

“But what we received was little more than empty promises, I haven’t see any action from them,” he said.