A view of Jakarta city (Photo: thejakartapost.com)Hanoi (VNA) - The Indonesian Government pledges to disburse 40 billion USD to savethe slowly sinking city in the next decade, said Minister of National DevelopmentPlanning Bambang Brodjonegoro.
The currentIndonesian capital will undergo a 571 trillion rupiah (40.18 billion USD) urbanregeneration in the next 10 years, more than the 33 billion USD expected costto build a new capital city on Borneo island, Brodjonegoro told Reuters in an interview.
"Jakartais the centre of everything in Indonesia. What we are moving out of is thecentre of administration, but finance (centres), businesses and trades willstay," Brodjonegoro said.
Jakarta isone of the world's most densely populated cities, home to more than 10 millionpeople and three times that number when counting those who live in surroundingtowns.
Brodjonegorosaid the relocation decision was taken because the government knew thepopulation concentration in Jakarta has to be reduced. The government expectsto begin moving to the new capital city in the East Kalimantan province in2024.
Only 60percent of the city has pipe water infrastructure, forcing millions of peopleand businesses to dig wells to use up groundwater, hurting the environment,Brodjonegoro said.
The overextraction makes Jakarta prone to floods and sinking due to subsidence. Risingsea levels aggravated the sinking with some part of the city dropping as muchas 11 inches a year, making Jakarta the fastest sinking city of its size globally.
At thecurrent sinking rate, 95 percent of Jakarta will be underwater by 2050, warned HeriAndreas, a geodesist who does research on subsidence for the Bandung Instituteof Technology.
Part of thenew project submitted by the city government is to extend water pipes to coverall of Jakarta so that people don't rely on groundwater, Brodjonegoro said.
Thegovernment will also build a new sewage system, he said, adding that thebiggest chunk of the spending would be for mass transportation.
Jakartasuffers from some of world's worst traffic jams. The congestion, the currentdry season, industrial pollution and the city's reliance on coal power plantshad put Jakarta among the world's most polluted cities as well.-VNA
VNA
