Jasa Tirta proposes new water canal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State-owned water company Perum Jasa Tirta II
\nsaid on Thursday that it planned to build a new canal worth Rp
\n2.8 trillion (US$254 million) to supply water to the capital
\nfollowing the collapse of a portion of one of the banks of the
\nWest Tarum Canal.<\/p>\n
\"We plan to build a second canal as an alternative to the West
\nTarum Canal so as to avoid such an accident happening again,\" the
\nfirm's technical director, Sri Hernowo, told Antara.<\/p>\n
Hernowo said the new canal, which would take 25 years to
\ncomplete, would stretch 65 kilometers from the Jatiluhur dam and
\nreservoir in West Java to Cibubur in East Java.<\/p>\n
He said the proposed project, which was expected to supply 40
\ncubic meters of water per second, was still being discussed with
\nPT Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) and PT Pam Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja), the
\ntwo foreign partners of the city-owned tap water utility PD PAM
\nJaya.<\/p>\n
TPJ, a subsidiary of Britain's Thames Water International,
\nmanages water supplies in the eastern part of Jakarta while
\nPalyja, a subsidiary of France's Lyonnaise des Eaux, provides the
\nwater supply in the western part of the city.<\/p>\n
One of the banks of the West Tarum Canal collapsed at
\nKalimalang, East Jakarta two weeks ago, cutting of water to
\nhundreds of thousands of consumers in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Soenarno, the Director General of Water Resources at the
\nMinistry of Infrastructure and Regional Settlement, admitted
\nearlier that the 40-years-old West Tarum Canal, which runs for 70
\nkilometers, had exceeded its anticipated useful life.<\/p>\n
\"The canal's useful life should have ended 10 years ago as its
\n(ideal) lifespan is 30 years.<\/p>\n
\"But it could continue to be used if it was well maintained,\"
\nSoenarno said.<\/p>\n
On another occasion, he complained that the company lacked the
\nfunds to cover the maintenance costs for all the canals in the
\ncity.<\/p>\n
Separately, city councillors expressed their regrets that
\nPerum Jasa Tirta had failed to maintain the West Tarum Canal
\nbanks in good order, saying the city had been buying untreated
\nwater from the company at a cost of Rp 20 billion per year.<\/p>\n
\"The firm and the ministry should be responsible for the canal
\nbank's collapse,\" said councillor Ali Imran Husein who, along
\nwith councillors from the City Council's Commission D on
\nDevelopment Affairs, visited Jatiluhur dam on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He also questioned the quality of the untreated water supplied
\nto the city, saying that 40 percent of the water was turbid and
\nbelow the limits for untreated water.<\/p>\n
Councillor Bimo Hastoro of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle said the firm was demanding that the price for untreated
\nwater should be increased to Rp 170 per cubic meter in order to
\ncover maintenance and ensure water quality.<\/p>\n
Bimo, who is also deputy chairman of Commission D, said Perum
\nJasa Tirta was currently selling its water at Rp 50 per cubic
\nmeter, far below the price needed to cover maintenance costs.<\/p>\n
\"But the price can't be increased in the near future as it is
\nset by law. We don't want to increase water rates (for
\ncustomers),\" he added.<\/p>\n
He suggested that the firm collaborate with the foreign water
\ncompanies operating in the city to overcome the problem of water
\nleakage, which currently reached a level of 40 percent, so as to
\ngain access to greater funding to improve the water supply.<\/p>\n
Councillor Muhayar of the Justice Party revealed on Wednesday
\nthat some 4,729 unauthorized pipe connections had been discovered
\nin various places here since the beginning of this year.(jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jasa-tirta-proposes-new-water-canal-1447893297",
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