7 Shophouse Buildings In The Jember Jompo River Stream Torn Down

Seven shophouses that have been built for decades on the Kalijompo river on Jalan Sultan Agung Jember were brought under control by the East Java Provincial Government on Tuesday (5/7/2022). ANTARA/Zumrotun Solichah

JEMBER - The East Java Provincial Government has taken control of seven shophouse buildings (ruko) located above the Jompo River (river) located on Jalan Sultan Agung, Jember Regency by tearing down the buildings.

The property of the shophouse land belongs to the Jember Regency Government (Pemkab) and the building occupied by the residents has been standing for decades on the Jompo River crossing Jalan Sultan Agung, so it violates the rules and must be demolished.

"According to the regulations, it is forbidden to build buildings above the river because one of the impacts can cause flooding because the flow of water is blocked by shop houses," said the Head of the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) of the East Java Water Resources Service for the Bondoyudo Baru River Region, Prabowo, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, July 5th.

The seven shophouses were demolished because they feared they would collapse, like the shophouse crash incident at the Jompo shopping center in 2020 because the building was located above a river, so that the area will be restored to its function as a river without any buildings on it.

"According to the rules, there should be no buildings standing on the river because it can cause flooding. If the water discharge is high, then there are buildings above it, then the water flow is blocked and flooding will occur," he said.

Prabowo said his party would continue to control the buildings on the banks of the river and standing on the river that violated the rules because it obstructed the flow of the river.

"The process to bring order to the seven shop houses at the Jompo Shopping Center will take quite a long time, starting in 2021, so we urge the public not to build buildings on the river," he said.

A number of shop owners complained about this control, which had occupied them for decades on asset land belonging to the Jember Regency Government.

The seven shophouses that have been brought under control are next to the shophouse owned by the wife of the Jember Regent, who did not participate in the discipline.

However, the owner of the shophouse that was demolished was reluctant to comment on the selective slashing and control of the building above the river.