Behind the construction of the toll roads that provide a “red carpet” for homebound travelers, are the residents living in the vicinity of the construction whose lives are no longer the same. They are now accompanied by loud noises, a carpet of dust and, soon, a busy homebound traffic.
Like the legend of Roro Jonggrang, who asked Bandung Bondowoso to create a thousand temples in a single night, so with the accelerated construction of the toll road from Brebes to Semarang, Central Java. The comings and goings of trucks and the small tremors caused by the pounding of heavy equipment, day and night, continue to disrupt the quiet of the small hamlets in the vicinity. Even though they are disturbed, the residents endure month after month for the sake of the national project.
Amid the loud rattling of the heavy equipment of the toll road project, Windia Kinanti, 39, stays at home to watch television. Her house, which is located in Jatirawa village, Tarub district, Tegal regency, is only 25 meters away from the toll road. It is no wonder the noise of heavy roadwork has become a daily “meal” for her.
“I’ve become used to the noise and the dust that flies around. Some of the walls of my house have cracked from the vibration. The television also often turns off on its own. If it can be said to be disturbing, then yes, I am clearly disturbed,” Windia said last weekend.
Over the last few months, Windia and her family have really felt the effect of the construction on Pejagan-Pemalang sections III and IV. The racket has grown worse in the last three months, epecially since the construction of the functional toll road was rushed so that it can be operational10 days before this year’s Lebaran. The road workers are racing to put down a layer of lean concrete.
The Brebes-Semarang toll road is to be completed in 2018. However, it is hoped that for this year’s homebound exodus flow, the road can be functional to help ease congestion in the homebound flow along the northern coast of Central Java.
Acknowledging that the toll road construction is for the national interest, local residents eventually adapted to the noise. They turned up their television volume higher so it can be heard more clearly and wear a dust mask every day.
Sumiyati, 41, another resident of Jatirawa, who lives with her four-year-old daughter, also feels the impact of the toll road construction. Not only does she have to endure the dust, thevibrations from the heavy equipment has also caused the roof of her house to collapse. The glass in her windows also tremble.
According to Sumiyati, the condition has made it difficult for her daughter to sleep. “The work goes on day and night. My child cries through the night and finds it difficult to sleep. Even if she does manage to sleep, she wakes up moments later. We go through that every day,” Sumiyati said.
Even though they are disturbed, Windia and Sumiyati are not able to do much about it, other than hope that the construction would be finished soon. They also hope that compensation for those affected by the construction can be given soon because, as of last Friday, the fund had yet to be disbursed.
Abdul Rosyid, 64, from Sawahan village, Ngemplak district, Boyolali, Central Java, faces a similar situation. His house, which has unfinished walls, directly faces the part of the toll road with the entrance and exit access of the Klodran toll gate, Karanganyar, Central Java.
Abdul’s house is 50 meters from the toll road,separated by a stretch of paddy fields in between. Some of the paddy fields have been planted with rice, while others have been left neglected and have weeds growing on them. “Before, it was all rice field here,” he said.
From June 19-July 2, the Solo-Ngawi toll road will be temporarily opened as an alternative road for the exodus flow and back. Abdul said he could not imagine the roarfrom thousands of vehicles that will travel on the road.
He only hopes that homebound travelers would drive courteously and not litter on and around the road. “I have to start getting used to the sound of traffic,” said Abdul.
Abdul said it was fortunate that the toll road construction project near his house was nearly finished. When the work first started, from dredging the earth to laying the concrete, every dry season the dust was everywhere. Heavy vehicles and trucks carrying earth and sand were coming and going. “Many farmers had to give up their paddy fields for this toll road,” Abdul said.
One of the farmers that had to surrender his paddy fields was Rohmad, 84, also from Sawahan village. That afternoon, Rohmad was lying down reading a newspaper on the terrace of his old and simple home. He had to give up his 3,600-square-meter paddy field, which was an inheritance from his parents, because it was in the way of the toll road construction. “Now I don’t have any paddy fields,” he said.
After he stopped being a farmer, Rohmad spends his days taking care of a public cemetery next to his house, cleaning his yard and relaxing on his terrace. “The compensation for the paddy fields is all used up,” he said.
Now that he no longer has paddy fields, Rohmad has to buy rice for his daily meals. He said that he does not have any more money from the compensation that was given to him. In fact, every month, he has to rely on money from his children. “Some give Rp 100,000, some give Rp 150,000. I spend it on what I need,” Rohmad said.
The Pejagan-Pemalang Section III-IV toll road project leader, Mulya Setiawan, said that homeowners that would be affected by the construction had been notified about the project. They had have also studied the effects that could potentially disturb residents.
“Before starting work at the construction area, we took pictures of the houses that might be affected. This was done to anticipate some residents who might ask for compensation even though the damage was already there before the construction started,” Setiawan said.
He said that houses that were damaged as a result of the construction would definitely receive compensation. There is a special team to handle that matter. The amount of compensation received will depend on the damage and on agreement with the resident.
After months of being disturbed, local residents only hope that the toll road construction will have a positive impact for their economic condition. No toll road has yet to kill the economy of an area it passes through.