North Jakarta Administration keeps controlling illegal buildings along connecting channels in order to anticipate flooding. One of them is by demolishing illegal buildings on Jalan Semut at RW 05 Penjaringan Urban Village.

I have no choice. I hope there is relocation program from the local government

In the site, 200 joint personnel of Satpol PP, army, police, Cleanliness Sub-Department and Water Management Public Works Sub-Department managed to demolish 112 illegal buildings on Jalan Semut, Wednesday (12/24). One of them is owned by a chairman of RT 10/04, Heidi (35).

"I have no choice. I hope there is relocation program from the local government," she said, Wednesday (12/24).

The demolishment started at 10 AM using an heavy equipment type backhoe. 

Acting North Jakarta Mayor, Tri Kurniadi mentions demolishment is a continuation of 167 illegal buildings located in Penjaringan. "We do demolishment to minimize flooding," he expressed.

Regarding relocation program, he asserted, there will be no compensation due to the land belongs to Jakarta Provincial Government. "If citizens ask for relocation or compensation, our budget will run out. All this time, they had benefited stay there," he stressed.

He added that post-demolishment, channel will be normalized. It aims to smoothen water flow from micro channel to Jelangkeng River. This is because its site is prone to flooding.