INDONESIA: Hundreds to be relocated for rubber dam project in Surakarta

Hundreds of residents living along the banks of the Kali Anyar river in Surakarta, Central Java, are set to be relocated this month (Aug 2017).

The Surakarta city administration has stated the relocation is also aimed at clearing lands for the development of the Tirtonadi rubber dam, which is part of the city’s flood control program.

“Some 200 residents will be relocated to Jeruksawit in Karanganyar regency,” relocation taskforce deputy chairman Trihono said, and added each relocated family would receive IDR 34.2 million (USD 2,600) in compensation.

The Tirtonadi rubber dam project was kicked off in 2016. The second phase of the project, which has been underway this year, cost IDR 70 billion.

Surakarta Mayor FX Hadi “Rudy” Rudyatmo denied it was an eviction because the residents had been informed about the relocation last year. “They are being relocated to a better place,” he said.

Source: Daily “The Jakarta Post”, Jakarta; 1 Aug 2017

(Syed Rashid Ali, Karachi, Pakistan)