Medan river project 'harms environment'

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

An alliance of non-governmental organizations have voiced strong opposition to the planned straightening of the Deli River, which divides Medan in North Sumatra.

The opposition comes after the alliance, including the Environmental Policy and Development Studies (Elsaka), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and the Commission for Victims of Violence and Missing Persons (Kontras) in Medan, organized a walk to trace the 700-meter section of the river to be straightened.

The project, according to the NGOs, contravenes Government Regulation No. 35/1991 on river conservation. They also claimed the work would benefit businesspeople, who would gain some 22 hectares of free land, at the expense of thousands of poor families who would be removed from the banks of the river.

Elsaka director Effendi Panjaitan, who joined the river walk, called on the municipal administration and Public Works Ministry to review the plan.

In addition to affecting residents, the project will harm the environment and put the city at greater risk of floods by narrowing the river, he said.

"If the government is committed to conserving the river, local authorities should take the necessary steps, including the revival of the clean river program, to fight the river's heavy pollution," Effendi said.

He warned the government not to straighten the river, saying NGOs would file a lawsuit against local authorities if they went ahead with the project.

"This is part of our protest to the city administration and the six construction companies who won the contract," he said.

The six companies, including PT Kastil Kencana, PT Elpinki, PT SJA and PT Eka, confirmed they had secured formal permission from city authorities to begin work on the river project.

Kastil operations director Bernard Situmorang said the plan did not pose any threat to the city because flood control works would be constructed along the straightened section of the river.

North Sumatra Walhi director Job Purba said the government was required to conserve the river, which belonged to all citizens.

"This project reflects the city authorities' lack of commitment to developing the city and preserving the environment. Local officials should not take the business community's side in developing the city," he said.

He claimed the city would allow the construction of malls and hotels on the land cleared to make way for the project.

The city's decision on the project is final and all requirements, including an environmental impact study, have been met, head of the local environment, energy and mineral resources office, Purnama Dewi, said.

"We have reviewed all the positive and negative effects of the project," she said, but declined to comment on the absence of measures to curb river pollution and to use the river as alternative transportation infrastructure.

Effendi called on city authorities to punish more than 200 companies that dumped wastewater and hazardous material into the river.

"Because of the contamination, residents can no longer use water from the river, which is a burden for everyone," he said.