Evicted fishermen cry for clean water<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
About 430 families who were evicted from their homes in Muara
\nAngke, North Jakarta, and are now living in makeshift wooden
\nhouses, demanded that city-owned water operator PD PAM Jaya
\nsupply them with clean water.<\/p>\n
The evictees, mostly fishermen and their families, were living
\nin houses built on state land previously used for fish ponds.
\nTheir houses on the bank of the Muara Angke River were torn down
\nby public order officers last October.<\/p>\n
Warsiman, 35, one of the evictees, said on Wednesday he spent
\nRp 9,000 (US$1.06) of his Rp 15,000 daily income buying clean
\nwater for his family for drinking, cooking, washing and bathing.<\/p>\n
"We spend more money on clean water than on food," he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Suroto, a local water vendor, said he sold the evictees' water
\nfor between Rp 750 and Rp 1,000 per 20-liter jerrican.<\/p>\n
He said he used to charge Rp 500 per jerrican when the
\nresidents were living in their old houses along the river,
\nbecause it was closer to the source of the clean water.<\/p>\n
"When the residents were in their old houses, I only had to
\npush my cart about 500 meters. Now I have to push it two
\nkilometers, so I'm charging more," Suroto said.<\/p>\n
Warsiman, who lives with his wife and two children, requires
\nabout 10 to 12 cans of clean water a day.<\/p>\n
PD PAM Jaya has promised to supply the evictees with clean
\nwater in two large containers, but after three months there is
\nstill no water from the company.<\/p>\n
"I don't know when they will supply us with clean water,"
\nsaid Warki, 45, a neighborhood unit head.<\/p>\n
He expressed hope PD PAM Jaya would live up to its promise to
\nprovide clean water for the area, so residents could stop
\nspending all of their money on water.<\/p>\n
Warki also said that each resident received Rp 500,000 in
\ncompensation from the North Jakarta municipality administration
\nafter the demolition of their houses. But, he added, the money
\nwas not enough to build new homes.<\/p>\n
"You see that my house has no walls because I can't afford to
\nbuy plywood," said Warki, who lives with his wife and two of his
\nfour children.<\/p>\n
Ganda, a fisherman, complained that their new homes were far
\nfrom where they tied up their boats along the Muara Angke River.
\nMany people are starting work later because they have to walk two
\nkilometers to reach the river and their boats.<\/p>\n
"Of course, it affects my income," he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/evicted-fishermen-cry-for-clean-water-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }