Bogor inaugurates reservoir in flood-reduction effort

BOGOR (JP): West Java Governor R. Nuriana inaugurated yesterday an eight-hectare lake located in the center of the Bogor regency office compound in Tengah village, Cibinong district.

The lake, one of 123 in the town, will also function as a rainwater reservoir to help protect Jakarta, north of here, from being inundated during the rainy season.

Bogor Regent Eddie Yoso Martadipura said Tegar Beriman Lake, named after the town's tidiness slogan, is also expected to attract tourists with its water sports and recreation facilities.

"There have already been at least 350 fish, including the Tawes and Nila freshwater fish, released into the lake," Eddie said.

The lake's water flows out through canals which run into a river, he said.

"The canals can also be used for fish farming."

To preserve the lake, 860 plants bearing 40 Indonesian fruits, have been planted around the shores of the lake.

They include rambutans, pineapples, mangosteen, taro and nutmeg.

Eddie said most of Bogor's lakes did not function properly.

"Those lakes have gradually been transformed into land."

An agriculture expert, Sjarifuddin Karama, said the lakes were developed during the Dutch colonial era.

"After a big flood, which hit Jakarta at the end of the 19th century, the Dutch government developed 221 large lakes in Cisarua, Ciawi, Bogor, Depok and some in Jakarta to prevent water overflow in those areas," he said.

Since the massive development of lakes, Jakarta rarely faced flooding until the lakes started to be misused.

Most of the lakes, which were designed as water enclaves to prevent flooding and also served as a water reservoir during the dry season, are no longer functional, he said. (24/emf)