By: Edi Baskara)*
The community supports the development of national infrastructure and the relocation of the national capital to Kalimantan. These various steps are expected to accelerate equitable development that is oriented towards people’s welfare.
The relocation of the country’s capital city (IKN) continues to be pursued even though it is hampered by the corona pandemic. One of the preparations is to build infrastructure and supporting facilities.
The most important infrastructure in the New Capital City, in Penajam Paser Utara , East Kalimantan Province, is the Presidential Palace and government offices. These two buildings are targeted for completion in 2021. Currently, the design of the presidential palace has been widely circulated, and the public is amazed by its beauty, because there is an eagle at the top of the palace which adds to its valor.
The design of the presidential palace was made by the aged artist Nyoman Nuarta. People hope that the finished building will be as good as its design. The reason is because the presidential palace is not only beautiful but also serves as a residence as well as the president’s office.
In addition to the presidential palace, an office complex was also built to facilitate the performance of the ASN ministries and other services, who moved from DKI Jakarta to East Kalimantan. They certainly need a representative office so as to facilitate their work. Of course also equipped with other facilities to make it as comfortable as in Jakarta.
To support smooth mobility, infrastructure in the form of roads is also built. Director General of Highways at the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing Hedy Rahadian stated that there had been preparations for the connectivity and road network system in the new nation’s capital, East Kalimantan.
Among them is the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road, which continues to be built to be 100% perfect. Later at KM 14 there will be a path leading to the new nation’s capital, Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan. For the manufacture of other infrastructure, we are still waiting for the inauguration of the IKN (state capital) law, so it cannot start yet.
Infrastructure in the form of roads is of course very important, because the natural conditions in Borneo are different from those in Java. In Java, there are many roads, in contrast to Borneo where there are parts of fields and virgin forests. Of course it must be adjusted and given access roads in order to expedite the performance of the president, staff, and ASN.
People need not fear that the construction of a new nation’s capital will destroy the nature of Kalimantan. The reason is because there is support for the environment which is stated in the Document of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
The contents of the document are as follows: first, to maintain certain forest areas in and around the new nation’s capital city which functions as a life support system. In a sense, the development of the capital city will not clear the forest, because Borneo is the lungs of the world and the government certainly will not have the heart to deforest it.
Second, there is engineering to maintain the carrying capacity of the environment, such as treatment of former mining pits as reservoirs and sources of clean water for the nation’s capital. When there is extreme rain, there is engineering to harvest water and direct it, so that the capital city will not be damaged or flooded.
Furthermore, there is restoration of areas in and around the nation’s capital with natural vegetation. Also infrastructure development that must be environmentally friendly.
The construction of infrastructure and various facilities in the new nation’s capital, East Kalimantan, is still in the preparation stage. However, people should not be afraid that development will destroy nature, because there are environmental documents that guarantee that the construction of the presidential palace and other buildings will not disturb the vegetation in Kalimantan.
)* The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students
