Indonesia is building a new capital
twice the size of New York City, to
escape the congested and polluted
current capital of Jakarta. as
construction is underway experts worry
about the environmental impact of such a
large-scale project. moreover they have
concerns about indigenous populations
being displaced from the area , our next
report gets you all the details.
in Indonesia ground has been broken in
the jungle of East Borneo where a new
capital city is being built. officials
promise a sustainable Forest City that
puts the environment at the heart of
development, and aims to be carbon
neutral by the year 2045.
Indonesia began construction of the new
city in mid-2022 , after it announced that
the current capital Jakarta would be
retired from its status.
Jakarta is a congested polluted city
which is prone to earthquakes and is
rapidly sinking into the Java sea.
officials hope to solve all these
problems by starting from scratch . they
tout the creation of a futuristic Green
City centered on forests, parks and food
production , that uses renewable energy
resources, smart Waste Management in
green buildings is the solution for it.
no santara is the city for tomorrow says
chairman of nusantara national capital
Authority.
but the project has been criticized by
environmentalists they say it degrades
Indonesia’s environment , which palm oil
plantations and coal mines have already
compromised.
an infrastructure specialist at the
Indonesian forum for living environment.
an environmental NGO that has been
monitoring the new capital project.
he assessed the government’s plans lack
consideration of the Region’s unique
Wildlife like orangutans and sun bears.
Construction shouldn’t pass through the
animal Corridor, the animal should be
relocated first and then start the
construction . but since they need to
hurry up they just built the area
without relocating the animals first.
the new city is also likely to displace
indigenous people, indigenous groups that
reside in the region have already lost
parts of their land. they fear that the
urban sprawl of the new capital could
make things even worse.
see booked in his an indigenous
Community leader who like many in the
country , only uses one name and lives in
sepaku a ward very close to the
construction area.
officials have vowed to respect
indigenous rights and compensate those
losing their homes. local officials say
they would verify all land claims and
accept documents of proof of ownership.
but much of the area is passed down
through families without paperwork and
not all tribal areas are formally
recognized.
I think we are going to always persuade
them
and tell them about the future of the
city . hopefully they will be under they
will understand that this is for the
sake of the everybody.
plans for the new capital about twice
the size of New York City are Grand in
its current . state according to
Indonesia’s Minister for public works
and housing 14 % of the city’s
infrastructure was completed in February.
some 7000 construction workers are
clearing plowing and building the first
phases of the site worker dormitories
basic roads and a helipad are already
being used.
meanwhile construction of key buildings
such as the presidential Palace is
expected to be completed by August 2024.
and as the government plans to
inaugurate the city on August 17th next
year to coincide with Indonesia’s
Independence Day. the construction is set
to be stepped up this year, even as
controversies over its effect on the
environment indigenous communities
continue.
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