Pertamina Plumpang Depot Moved: When The State Must Relieve To Citizens Who Do Wrong

The location of the residential area is very close to the Pertamina Plumpang Depot, which caught fire on Friday evening, March 3, 2023. (Between/Aprillio Akbar)

JAKARTA If Pertamina Plumpang Depot has a buffer zone, the fuel pipe explosion that occurred on March 3, 2023 will most likely not harm residents. So, said urban planning observer Nirwono Yoga, it is time for the government to realize the plan to rearrange the area.

"This is for the safety and security of the citizens. Regarding human life, it cannot be offered again," Nirwono told VOI on March 8, 2023.

However, it is not relocating the fuel depot of oil, but relocating residents in the depot area. Restore the function of land and then create a buffer zone 500 meters, not 50 meters or even more. According to a security and safety study in case of an explosion or fire in the future. This, according to Nirwono, is more realistic.

"Referring the depot is not easy, it needs an in-depth study including the area of land and infrastructure, clear land status. Land must belong to Pertamina, very large costs and long time," continued Nirwono.

Meanwhile, the Plumpang Depo must continue to operate to supply national distribution. Referring to the Pertamina website, the Pertamina Plumpang Depot has a storage tank capacity of 291,889 kiloliters and supplies about 20 percent of the fuel oil needs in Indonesia.

The main distribution area includes Jabodetabek. The average daily supply of fuel oil from the Pertamina Plumpang Depot reaches 16,504 kiloliters.

After all, the state should protect and maintain national vital objects, not move them. President Jokowi only admitted that the zone was not actually a residential zone, but a water zone as a protector of vital objects.

If there is another fuel oil depot that is also surrounded by dense settlements, then the depot must also be moved? Nirwono was surprised.

Public policy observer Agus Pambagio via text message to VOI on March 8, 2023 also added, "If you build a house on the edge of the river, when it overflows it causes people to die, does it have to be moved too?"

Looking at history, the Pertamina Plumpang Depot has been operating from 1974. At that time, the area around the depot that is now known as Rawa Badak is still empty or swampy. The construction of the Pertamina Depot has been carefully planned, including its location which is only 5 km from Tanjung Priok Port. Also, according to Djakarta Main Plan 1965-1985.

In the General Plan for the DKI Jakarta Spatial Planning in 1985-2005, according to Nirwono, the existence of the Pertamina Plumpang Depot is also still maintained and protected as a vital national object. However, from 1985 to 1998, residents began to take over.

The existence of large-scale depots certainly provokes the arrival of workers and supporters of workers' needs. From the emergence of food stalls, temporary shelters, boarding houses, stalls, kiosks, and even markets. Until finally, forming settlements that crowded towards depots, especially in 2000 and continues to this day," said Nirwono.

Instead of receiving firm action, the DKI Provincial Government has instead whitened / recognized / legalized the settlement in the DKI Jakarta Regional Spatial Planning (RTRW) 2000-2010 and DKI Jakarta RTRW 2010-2030.

So, according to Nirwono, dense settlements that incidentally violate spatial planning must be brought under control and reorganized.

"If the main consideration is the depot as a vital national object and for the safety and security of residents there should be no reason for refusal to rearrange the depot and surrounding areas. Set the ideal safe distance for these important objects and fix dense settlements into an integrated vertical residential area," said Nirwono.

"Of course, the wider the buffer zone, the consequence is that more and more housing for residents must be relocated and more rusunawa units must be provided by the government," he said.

The Director General (Dirjen) of Spatial Planning of the Ministry of ATR/BPN, Gabriel Triwibawa also admitted that all vital national objects, including the Plumpang fuel depot owned by Pertamina, must have a buffer zone with a width of 500 meters. Private or public.

If it is private, it is provided and developed by the management of the area. If it is public, both green open space and blue open space that provides it are local governments.

"For example, the Pertamina Plumpang depot, if it is private, Pertamina must provide the land. But I don't know for sure, Pertamina Plumpang is private or public," Gabriel said in Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta on March 7, 2023.

To be sure, apart from identifying the land around the Pertamina Plumpang Depot area, the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency is also in the process of revising the Provincial RTRW, especially those related to national vital objects.

If the land really belongs to the community, there will be a program to determine the location and procurement of land. If it belongs to Pertamina, there will be further discussions with Pertamina.

"Even though in the end the depot will move to Pelindo land, we will continue to prepare safe buffer zone areas for settlements," he said.

Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir has decided to relocate the Pertamina Plumpang Depot to land owned by PT Pelabuhan Indonesia or Pelindo. Development will begin at the end of 2024 and is predicted to be completed in 2027.

"This is solely to protect the community," said Erick after a meeting with Pertamina's President Director, Nicke Widyawati on March 6, 2023.

Pelindo's land is located in the New Priok Container Terminal (NPCT) area, Kalibaru, Cilincing, North Jakarta. This land is the result of a reclamation project of 83 hectares. Located right in the watersfront, making it easier to unload oil and gas from the ship to the terminal and vice versa.

The location is very strategic, far from residential areas. Supported by access to the Cibitung-Cilincing (JTCC) and New Priok Eastern Access (NPEA) Toll Roads.

"In principle, Pelindo is ready to follow the government's direction and is open to the option of moving to the port. Next, we will wait for further talks between Pertamina and Pelindo," said Pelindo Company Secretariat Group Head Ali Mulyono in a statement as reported by VOI.

There has been no official statement on how much it costs for the construction of the depot. However, the Executive Director of the Center of Energy and Resources Indonesia (CERI) Yusri Usman estimates that it could cost US $ 300 million.

"Considering moving the Plumpang Depo, it is better for the government to consider relocating residential areas close to the perimeter of the depot location," Yusri said in his official statement on March 7, 2023.

It is very dilemmatic, on the one hand, the citizens of Tanah Merah have also expressed their unwillingness if the government decides to relocate residents. The Treasurer of the United Land Communication Forum (FKTMB) Muktar stated that if the government or Pertamina wants to create a safety zone, please do it from the fence inside, not outside.

"Don't sacrifice it again. In essence, we don't want to be relocated. Instead, Pertamina must be responsible for residents affected by the explosion," he added.