All Lose When Lakes Become Housing Complexes

Fortune cannot be predicted; misfortunate cannot be avoided. The conversion of dozens of lakes in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi has caused losses not only to the local people, but also the government.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

The former Kayu Antap reservoir has changed its function and is owned by a private company in the East Ciputat area, South Tangerang, Banten, Saturday (28/9/2019). Kayu Antap reservoir is one of the few sites in South Tangerang whose function has been conversed through the issuance of freehold titles/building rights titles by the National Land Agency.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Fortune cannot be predicted; misfortunate cannot be avoided. The conversion of dozens of lakes in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) has caused losses not only to the local people, but also the government. In fact, losses are incurred even for the developers who manage the lakes under the right to use (HGB) permit. Using their land permits, these property developers have converted the lakes from water catchments and reservoirs into residential areas.

Lake Ciming in Depok and Lake Asem in Bogor are some of the lakes in Greater Jakarta that have been converted into housing complexes since the 1980s.

The two lakes were converted following the issuance of HGB permits for the area. Lake Ciming in Abadijaya village of Sukmajaya district, Depok municipality, is now the Mekar Perdana housing complex. The shape of the lake is still visible in the topography of the 1-hectare residential complex, which resembles a bowl.

Mekar Perdana is surrounded by cliffs 4-5 meters high, atop which are settlements and some vacant plots. PT Antar Samudra Perdana developed the Mekar Perdana housing complex, which comprises at least 300 houses, in 1986.

According to the copy of the HGB permit Kompas obtained, Mekar Perdana occupies land for which the local administration issued HGB permit No. 1 on 15 March 1986.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Rompong Reservoir in Cempaka Putih, South Tangerang, Banten, is surrounded by settlements as seen on Saturday (28/9/2019). Based on data from the Ciliwung-Cisadane River Basin Agency, Rompong reservoir\'s area has shrunk from initially 10 hectares to only 2.99 hectares, mainly due to massive housing construction.

According to Mekar Perdana neighborhood unit (RW) head Sulaeman, flooding had worsened in the neighborhood since 2005, compared to previous years.

Many houses, mosques and public facilities have been built on the vacant lands surrounding Mekar Perdana. As a consequence, the wastewater from these residential areas flows into Mekar Perdana, which is located on lower ground.

Bakhtiar Ardiansyah, the head of water resources operations and maintenance at the Depok Public Works and Housing Agency, said that the local administration had spent at least Rp 3 billion to build a flood management facility in Mekar Perdana.

"It is actually logical that the state suffered loses. However, if we were not accommodating and we did not build the embankment, [I mean] they are our residents. They also pay their taxes to us. Everything is all wrong, too," he said.

Meanwhile, Lake Asem in Cibadak subdistrict of Tanah Sareal district, Bogor municipality, was turned into the Tamansari Persada housing complex in 1998.

Latifah, 55, a resident of Tamansari Persada, said that floods were a common occurrence at the housing complex for many years. She had to reinforce her house by adding columns because the ground had shifted. The street in front of her house had also collapsed and had to be closed.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

The Tujuh Muara reservoir in Pamulang, South Tangerang, Banten – seen here on Monday (30/9/2019) – is relatively well preserved. Some green areas in South Tangerang have been shrinking fast due to the conversion of land into residential areas.

Natural resources region II head Andi Siswandi of the Depok public works agency said that the local administration had assumed responsibility for flood management in the area since 2018, when the developer transferred the management of Tamansari Persada’s facilities and services to Bogor municipality. Flood management at Tamansari Perada had incurred costs of at least Rp 1.7 billion for measures such as increasing the drainage capacity.

New problems

The issuance of land ownership certificates (SHM) and HGB permits for lakes and lake areas has also created a new problem for developers. PT Hana Kreasi Persada, which recently won its appeal at the Banten High Court in a land dispute over Lake Kayu Antap in South Tangerang, has been unable to obtain a building permit (IMB) for a housing development in the area.

Hana Kreasi managing director Hendrik Kadarusman said that the HGB permit the company held was converted from an SHM in Tadjuddin’s name in 1974. In 2011, South Tangerang municipality included the land owned by Hana Kreasi as part of its “blue zone” (water zone) in the 2011-2031 South Tangerang spatial plan. As a result, the company was unable to obtain a building permit to develop a housing complex in the area.

KOMPAS/RYAN RINALDY

A resident looks at a flood control dyke in Tamansari Persada Housing, Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday (4/9/2019). Despite the dyke and drainage, housing complexes in the area that used to be referred to as the Asem reservoir are flooded during heavy rain.

Erwin Kallo, Hendrik\'s attorney, said that the South Tangerang municipal administration did not comply with the court decision. He said that the local administration had put his client in limbo that he could not exploit the land he owned. “Under this situation, my client’s investment in the land has become idle," he said.

The Ciliwung-Cisadane River Area Center (BBWSCC) of the Public Works and Housing Ministry, which is in charge of managing the lakes in Jabodetabek, plans to revitalize all lakes that are functioning normally. Of the 208 lakes under BBWSCC management, only 78 lakes have been surveyed.

The BBWSCC has been revitalizing lakes by dredging and installing a jogging track on the shores of Lake Pagam, Lake Babakan and Lake Pondok Jagung.

KOMPAS/RYAN RINALDY

Two residents, Saturday (7/9/2019), are cleaning the water of Gunung Putri Reservoir, Bogor regency, West Java, from water hyacinth. Some of the area there is currently being the objects of disputes involving the community holding land documents with the government.

BBWSCC head Bambang Hidayat said that the center’s registry only listed lakes that had been turned into housing complexes, because lakes were state assets that could not be owned by individuals or corporations. However, the initial priority was to revitalize the lakes that still maintained their original function, he said.

(SPW/ADY/MDN)