Puncak damage shown in water level<\/p>\n
Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor<\/p>\n
The water level in the Katulampa dam in Bogor has become a
\nreliable yardstick to measure the environmental destruction in
\nPuncak hills, an expert has concluded after extensive research.<\/p>\n
Director of the Spatial Planning and Development Center of the
\nBogor Agriculture Institute (IPB), Ernan Rustiadi, said on Friday
\nthat the wild extremes in the water level of the dam has shown
\nthat the water catchment areas in Puncak have been diminishing at
\nan alarming rate because they have been converted into
\nresidential and\/or commercial areas.<\/p>\n
The unregulated development has also cut off water to many
\ngreen areas and agricultural land, rendering them non-arable and
\ninfertile, and thus unable to soak up water and take pressure of
\nthe dam.<\/p>\n
\"If the government and the local administration continues to
\nturn a blind eye to the environmental damage in Puncak, within
\nfive years, the Puncak area down to Jakarta and its surrounding
\nwill be completely destroyed like Bahorok,\" he warned, referring
\nto the massive flash flood in North Sumatra last month that wiped
\na whole town off the map and left nearly 200 people dead. That
\nflood was blamed on irresponsible logging and development
\nupriver.<\/p>\n
Ernan was speaking in the opening of an international seminar
\non Land Use and Land Cover Change and Environmental Problems from
\nDec. 19 to Dec. 21 at the Hotel Salak. Experts from Japan, China,
\nIndia and Malaysia are among the 70 participants.<\/p>\n
The water level in the rainy season in Katulampa dam has
\nbecome overloaded, essentially because the lack of green areas.
\nIdeally, the runoff from the reservoir in the wet season should
\nbe less than five times what it is in the dry season. At present
\nthe reservoir's water flow in the rainy season is 740,000 liters
\nper second compared to 1,200 liters per second in the dry season.<\/p>\n
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency has recently warned that
\nthere would be rain for between 26 and 28 days in January with
\nthe rainfall of between 50 and 100 millimeters per day. It said a
\nheavy rain averaging 75 mm per day for three straight days is
\nenough to inundate the capital.<\/p>\n
\"Regulations alone are not enough to stop the conversion of
\ngreen areas into industrial complexes, as we know that many
\npresidential decrees on environmental protection in Puncak have
\nbeen ignored by businesspeople.<\/p>\n
\"What we need is better control and cooperation between the
\ngovernment and the public,\" Ernan explained.<\/p>\n
The seminar has four main themes: land cover change related to
\nurbanization, the conversion of agricultural land contributing to
\nfood shortages, deforestation and water crises.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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