JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The rainy season has come. Jakarta again has to bear rains and puddles, and occasionally collapsed trees. In the first week, the rain has "successfully" jammed the capital.
Main streets like Salemba, Matraman, Gunung Sahari, Merdeka Barat, Merdeka Timur, M.H. Thamrin, Sudirman, Veteran-Bintaro, Sabang street, Gatot Subroto street, the inner city tolls, T.B. Simatupang, are all full of puddles.
People then ask, how is the East Flood Canal (BKT)? Just as a reminder, BKT is a megaproject of the Jakarta government that costs approximately Rp. 4.124 trillion.
The BKT has been set as a priority to solve Jakarta flood problems since it is estimated to be able to secure 150 kilometer square of East and North Jakarta from floods. This project was first started on July 10, 2003, by the President Megawati Soekarnoputri and was targeted to finish by the end of this year.
At least that was the promise of the Jakarta Deputy Governor, Prijanto, some years ago. "By the end of 2009, the BKT will be connected to the sea. In 2010, the BKT will be able to prevent floods in east Jakarta," said Prijanto.
The BKT that stretches as far as 23.5 km across 11 subdistrict areas in East Jakarta and two in North Jakarta. Kompas.com observed that along the BKT there are still uncleared citizen properties.
Along the streets, boards and banners stand, saying that their lands haven't been paid for. One of which is the land of Tuin (57) in the area of Raden Inten. It's a 3,610 meter square property and Tuin has a Freehold ('hak milik') for it.
Twenty six families reside on that area. According to Tuin, of the whole 19,000 meter square only 8,000 meter square has been cleared.
Tuin is confused. The left and right areas of his home have been dug. Several tractors can be seen busily digging.
"I don't know why my land hasn't been paid for. I want to settle this as soon as possible. If we could be paid today, we'd be ready to leave tomorrow," he said to Kompas.com, in front of his home, Sunday.
"The government must be able to pay for shacks like these. How expensive could it be?" Tuin wondered in his thick Batavian accent. Tuin, who has lived on that land for half a centery said that he supported the BKT program.
Tuin added, if his land was cleared and paid for, he'd use a kind of severance that was promised to the 26 families there to rent somewhere else. The same concern was also stated by Nasir (45), the owner of a 1,000 meter square land around Raden Inten street.
Nasir said, he suspects there are certain culprits tampering with the land clearing fund. "Maybe someone is using the money for other purposes. Some of our neighbors have been cleared, but why haven't we?" he said.
Nasir estimated, there are 10 families living on his land that would be cooperative. "We could move out in about 2 weeks. We're not like those who've been paid but are still occupying the land," he added.
The same is happening in Lambok, around Pondok Kopi. That 1,500 meter square land hasn't been cleared either.
Unfortunately, Kompas.com couldn't meet the owner while visiting the area because the owner doesn't live there, but instead in Rawamangun. According to Gonang (20), one of the local citizens, the people in Lambok has never been asked to prepare to relocate.
"There was only an official who measured the land. But nothing happened afterward," he said. Does this show that the BKT will really be done by the end of this year? (HIN/C17-09)
