Water, God's gift the poor struggle for<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto and Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
You may live in a billion-dollar house a la Bill Gates, with
\nall the latest technological gadgets that leave your neighbors
\ngreen with envy. Only, there's one problem: There's no reliable,
\nclean water supply.<\/p>\n
I bet you would want to exchange all those hi-tech gadgets for
\nconstant running water. Although we can live without modern
\nequipment, even electricity, we cannot exist without water, an
\nessential item.<\/p>\n
Water, just like air, is a gift from God to all. Unfortunately
\nfor many, only the rich have access to a clean water supply while
\nthe poor must struggle for it.<\/p>\n
Take Jakarta for example. Piped water, which is expected to
\nsupply Jakartans with cheap and clean water, reaches only half of
\nthe city's 12 million population. Compare highly populated or
\nslum areas with real estate complexes to see the difference.<\/p>\n
At East Jakarta's Mester Jatinegara market, Trimuljatno, 58, a
\nsmall-scale vendor of noodle soup and meat balls, admitted she
\nfaced many problems related to clean water supply, vital for her
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
Though her 12-square-meter stall is connected to piped water
\nand there is a groundwater well, she simply cannot rely on them.<\/p>\n
"Piped water? Oh, come on -- we can't rely on it! The quality
\nis very poor. Besides being cloudy and smelly, it flows just like
\ndrops of urine, frankly speaking," said Trimuljatno.<\/p>\n
So, how about groundwater ?<\/p>\n
"You see, the market area is packed with shophouses, which, of
\ncourse, simply means that the wells or water sources are
\nlocated close to the sewers, so the water just isn't potable,"
\nsaid Trimuljatno.<\/p>\n
Every day she has to buy at least 10 buckets of water from
\nprivate vendors at a cost of Rp 20,000, or Rp 2,000 (22 U.S.
\ncents) per bucket. "We have to spend more than Rp 600,000 per
\nmonth on water," Trimuljatno added.<\/p>\n
Trimuljatno's monthly water expenses are almost the same as
\nthe minimum salary of workers in Jakarta, which stands at Rp
\n629,000.<\/p>\n
Apart from that, Trimuljatno must contribute Rp 50,000 per
\nmonth to a friend who owns a water pump near her stall, as she
\noften asks for water if her supply is interrupted.<\/p>\n
Of course, Trimuljatno said, such a whopping amount spent on
\nclean water placed a really heavy burden on her business,
\nstruggling to survive after the prolonged economic crisis.<\/p>\n
"I've yet to mention the four gallons at least per week of
\nbottled water for drinking and cooking," said Trimuljatno, wary
\nof consuming contaminated water that could harm her family.<\/p>\n
Hidayat, a street hawker who lives in Tanah Sereal, West
\nJakarta, said he had his own trick to deal with his daily water
\nproblem.<\/p>\n
"I use groundwater from a manual pump for washing clothes and
\nbathing after I've stored it for several days to allow silt and
\nother solid substances to settle," said Hidayat.<\/p>\n
For drinking, Hidayat said he had to buy a bucket of water for
\na week's use, which means he spends at least Rp 8,000 per month
\non clean water. "You've got to have a few tricks up your sleeve
\nto survive, right?" he said.<\/p>\n
Trimuljatno and Hidayat are just two Jakartans that do not
\nhave access to a cheap, clean water supply. They have no other
\nchoice but to accept the situation.<\/p>\n
They hold out little hope that piped water companies will
\nprovide them with cheap and clean water.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's water supply is now provided by two water firms,
\nSuez-Lyonnaise and Thames Water, plus a number of local private
\nvendors selling water in buckets, and bottled water companies.<\/p>\n
The better-off have no such problems.<\/p>\n
Melda Sari, 28, a housewife who has lived in the upmarket,
\nPondok Indah housing complex, South Jakarta, for over seven
\nyears, said she was quite satisfied with her piped water supply.<\/p>\n
"We receive a 24-hour piped water supply most of the time and
\nthe quality is good for bathing, cooking and washing," she said.<\/p>\n
For drinking, though, she prefers to buy bottled drinking
\nwater because of its guaranteed, high quality.<\/p>\n
"Therefore, water supply is not really an issue for us ..."<\/p>\n
However, she acknowledged that sometimes she used her
\ngroundwater pump for washing and bathing to minimize her water
\nexpenditure. She had a pump installed before her house was
\nsupplied by the piped water company.<\/p>\n
Susan, another housewife, agreed with Melda.<\/p>\n
"I use piped water for drinking, washing, cooking and bathing,
\nwithout experiencing trouble most of the time," she said. "I'm
\nglad that the piped water here is good and has no smell, unlike
\nthe water in other parts of Jakarta."<\/p>\n
Melda said she spent Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000 per month on
\nwater, whereas Susan spent less than Rp 100,000.<\/p>\n
This means those on low incomes, such as Trimuljatno and
\nHidayat, end up paying far more for their water than the better-
\noff, like Melda Sari and Susan who, ironically, can afford to pay
\nmore.<\/p>\n
The inequalities in Jakarta's water supply highlight a huge
\nproblem related to the nation's clean water supply, an issue that
\nwas revealed in the country report for the third World Water
\nForum (WWF) which starts today in Japan.<\/p>\n
The report said at least 80 percent of the country's 215
\nmillion population had no access to piped water.<\/p>\n
That is a particularly unimpressive record, as Indonesia has a
\nhuge amount of water potentially available, at 13,381 cubic
\nmeters per capita per year. This ranks the nation as 58th of 180
\ncountries, according to the latest UN report, published before
\nthe WWF.<\/p>\n
In comparison, Singapore, with only 149 cubic meters of water
\nper capita per year, has been able to provide potable water for
\nall of its citizens.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is at a crossroads on how to provide clean water for
\nall, especially as the government is planning to privatize water
\nmanagement. Many have opposed the plan due to fears that only the
\nwealthy will have access to good water.<\/p>\n
One can only hope that the government will be wiser than that
\nso that people like Trimuljatno and Hidayat will have access to a
\ndecent water supply, as enjoyed by their richer neighbors, Melda
\nSari and Susan.<\/p>",
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