Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has ordered the city government to rebuild Kampung Akuarium in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, and complete the redevelopment by next year.

Residents of the kampung were evicted by the capital's previous governor, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, in April 2016 when much of its old structures were also razed to the ground.

The new Kampung Akuarium will be built according to a community action plan design devised by its residents. 

The redevelopment was one of Anies's campaign promises during the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election.

He has stuck to his promise since then, having reactivated the ID cards of Kampung Akuarium residents in early 2018. 

Tedi, a 60-year-old resident of Kampung Akuarium who has lived in the area since 1984, said many of the residents refused to be relocated to government-subsidized flats because they were located too far away. 

Most of them work as fishermen and the new flats are located too far inland for them to continue their profession.

Since the forced eviction three years ago, Kampung Akuarium residents who had chosen to remain in the area have been living in temporary housing made mostly of plywood provided by the Jakarta provincial government.

The redeveloped Kampung Akuarium will have 142 units of 27-square-meter homes by next year.