Small lakes latest idea to combat Jakarta's floods<\/p>\n
BOGOR, West Java (JP): The latest flood prevention suggestion
\nis to build small lakes in the city, a Bogor expert said.<\/p>\n
A. Sjarifuddin Karama, director of Bogor's Land and
\nAgroclimate Research Center, said recently the building of small
\nlakes in Jakarta should be added to flood prevention measures.<\/p>\n
Ongoing efforts are replanting or regreening, digging
\ncatchment wells and dredging rivers in and around Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He said the lakes could not possibly retain all the rainwater,
\nbut the run-off could be diverted to rivers.<\/p>\n
Sjarifuddin said it was possible to build lakes in crowded
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Jakarta still has 6,000 hectares of paddy fields,\" he said.
\nUnproductive rice fields could be converted into ponds
\ncultivating fish and the kangkung vegetable. Other vegetables and
\nfruit trees could be planted on surrounding land, he said.<\/p>\n
Sjarifuddin said the Land and Agroclimate Research Center had
\nprepared five hectares in Sukapura, Jakarta, to test a pond
\nproject.<\/p>\n
Small lakes were not expensive to build, he said.<\/p>\n
On a 100-hectare plot, the cost should not exceed Rp 2
\nbillion, he said.<\/p>\n
\"What's more, if we can, we will get local farmers to join us.
\nThey will be paid an incentive of Rp 2 million, for instance, to
\nmake a small lake. Maybe we can keep total costs at Rp 1
\nbillion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sjarifuddin said he tried a similar project on five hectares,
\nwhich cost less than Rp 6 million.<\/p>\n
Small lakes could be dug manually without heavy construction
\nequipment and the lakes would not need complicated maintenance,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He suggested the lakes be 200 square meters wide, with a depth
\nof three to four meters. Sjarifuddin could not say how many lakes
\nshould be built.<\/p>\n
Earlier Siswoko, an official in charge of a river improvement
\nproject under the Ministry of Public Works, said the city's flood
\ncontrol measures were unable to keep up with unchecked
\nconstruction activity along river basin areas in West Java.<\/p>\n
He said construction may not be avoidable, given the need for
\nmore houses, but developers should observe environmental
\nregulations. These include checking sites to see whether they
\nwere likely to flood, retaining and creating water catchment
\nsites including lakes.<\/p>\n
Siswoko's office of the Ciliwung-Cisadane river improvement
\nproject, is also in charge of rehabilitating lakes in Jakarta's
\nsurrounding areas. He said around 70 percent of lakes have been
\nlost to construction works or neglect, with former lakes being
\ncovered by plants or waste.<\/p>\n
Sjarifuddin said 221 lakes were built by the Dutch colonial
\ngovernment in the 19th century because a large section of the
\ncity was lowland and vulnerable to floods.<\/p>\n
Lakes were built in Cisarua, Ciawi, Bogor, and Depok, and even
\nin the heart of Jakarta. After they were built, floods decreased
\nfor a long time, Sjarifuddin said.<\/p>\n
Members of the Jakarta city council earlier quoted 1994
\nfigures on the decreasing lake area around the city, though they
\ndid not mention the specific time frame.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party faction said lakes in Bogor,
\nTangerang and Bekasi reduced drastically from 2,049 hectares to
\n1,294 hectares in the last six years.<\/p>\n
The faction supported earlier suggestions from former
\nenvironment minister Emil Salim, that Jabotabek -- Jakarta,
\nBogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, should be grouped under one
\nauthority to ensure an integrated development plan.<\/p>\n
A land and water conservation expert, Oteng Haridjaya, at the
\nBogor Agriculture Institute, also supported the idea.<\/p>\n
He said from 1981 to 1990, 4,353 hectares of forest around
\nBogor was cut down to 3,361 hectares, enlarging the residential
\narea from 770 hectares to 2,008 hectares.<\/p>\n
\"We got the information in 1990. Construction proceeded
\nrapidly from 1990,\" Oteng said.<\/p>\n
Data from the Forestry Services and the Bogor Land
\nConservation, revealed more than 19,000 hectares around the
\nupstream areas of the Ciliwung, Cisadane, Cidurian and the Bekasi
\nrivers, were in a critical condition, Oteng said. (24)<\/p>",
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