Anies' Subordinates Denies That The Newly Inaugurated Aquarium Village Flats Violated The Spatial Planning

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan inaugurated the construction of the first phase of the flat in Kampung Akuarium, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, some time ago.

This development is considered by a number of parties to violate Regional Regulation No. 1 of 2014 concerning Detailed Spatial Planning (RDTR) and Zoning. However, this was denied by the Head of the DKI Jakarta Cipta Karya, Spatial Planning and Land Office, Heru Hermawanto.

In the regulation, the Kampung Aquarium area is located on the red zone or government zone. Many people think that the government zone should not be built for settlements.

But according to Heru, there is a bias in the definition of this red zone. He considers that the red zone in this case means that the government can build whatever is needed.

"Actually, in the past we were a bit biased between zoning and land ownership. The land use (Kampung Akuarium) was originally government land, in the spatial plan. From our perspective, in the RDTR, for the benefit of the government, it is possible to use land for government needs. So, in principle, the red zone is based on what the government needs to build," Heru told reporters, Saturday, August 21.

Moreover, according to Heru, the construction of the Kampung Susun Aquarium is not defined as a settlement, but a residence.

"Actually (the flats in Kampung Akuarium) are not residential but residential. Residential can be anywhere. For example, in a government office there is an official house, it's also a residence," said Heru.

Some time earlier, Member of Commission A of the DKI DPRD, Gembong Warsono, assessed that the construction of the apartment in Kampung Akuarium violated the Regional Regulation on RDTR. Gembong said, the location of the Aquarium Village in the Regional Regulation on RDTR and Zoning is a red zone. This means, said Gembong, that the location cannot be used for residential purposes.

"The red zone is a government designation. Say it's like the sub-district office can, the sub-district office can. But it's not a residential area. If it's not us, who has to obey the regulation," said Gembong.

Gembong understands that the construction of houses for residents in Kampung Akuarium was included in the promise of the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan during the 2017 Gubernatorial Election campaign.

However, according to Gembong, Anies cannot use the pretext of improving the welfare of the residents by building settlements on land that is not intended for them. The Aquarium Village has been raised to a proper place for them to live, so that's not where it is," he explained.

Meanwhile, a public policy observer from Trisakti University, Trubus Rahadiansyah, considers Kampung Susun Akuarium to have the potential to be evicted again if the leadership of the Governor of DKI changes.

"This violates the Regional Regulation on RDTR because there is a red line. Residents must be careful because there is a possibility that if they change governors, the settlements there can be evicted again. Residents must be able to think about getting there," Trubus said.