Pertamina Plumpang Buffer Zone Proposal, Jokowi: It Used To Be Planned, But It Hasn't Reached The Solution Point

President Jokowi at RPTRA Rasela, Rawabadak, Koja, North Jakarta, Sunday, March 5. (Diah-VOI)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) admitted that there had been a proposal from the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to Pertamina to build a buffer zone around the Pertamina depot in Plumpang, North Jakarta.

This proposal was made after the Pertamina Plumpang Depot fire incident in 2009. The discussion of the buffer zone in the form of a water area in the Plumpang depot was also resumed when Jokowi served as Governor of DKI.

"In the past, it was planned to make water on the right side of his left, the river, but it has not yet reached the point of finding a solution for the residents there," said Jokowi after reviewing the evacuation site for victims of the Pertamina Plumpang depot fire at RPTRA Rasela, North Jakarta, Sunday, March 5.

After the fire hit the Pertamina Plumpang depot again and spread to residential areas in Tanah Merah Bawah, Jokowi did not want the disaster to repeat itself. Jokowi said there must be relocation that separates depots from residential areas.

"The red land is dense and full. Everything must be found a solution. I think public security, public safety must be the main point," he said.

Jokowi gave two relocation options. First, Pertamina moved the depot to the reclamation island of Jakarta or moved settlements from the site of the former depot fire. Jokowi targets the decision to relocate the Pertamina depot or residential areas in the next two days.

"It could be that the Plumpang (depo) has been shifted to a reclamation or the population has been shifted to relocation," said the former governor of DKI Jakarta.

"This is what will be discussed later. There are options, there are options. Are the depots being shifted, are the people being shifted. If the land is shifted where it is. However, a solution must be found immediately," he continued.

Previously, the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono said that the local government had proposed Pertamina to make buffer zones 50 meters wide.

"In the past, the concept was in 2009, the local government together with the Forkopimda ranks proposed to Pertamina that there must be a 50 meter buffer zone. We will return (the decision) to Pertamina again," said Heru after holding an emergency meeting at the Koja Koramil post, Saturday morning.