Councilor worries about sharp drop of lake areas
JAKARTA (JP): Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi have lost 754.5 hectares of natural small lakes and ponds during the past six years due to rapid urban development, a city councilor says.
Lukman F. Mokoginta, the chairman of the council's Indonesian Democratic Party faction said over the weekend that the natural lakes had played significant roles in flood control in Jakarta.
"The loss of the lakes has been one of the main causes of flooding in Jakarta," he said.
Citing the 1994 records made by the Ministry of Public Works, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, Jakarta's buffer zones, now have 1,294.7 hectares of lakes compared to 2,049.2 hectares six years ago.
"The disappearance of the natural small lakes and ponds, has been in line with the increase in the number of residential areas," Lukman said.
He did not go into the details of the growth of residential areas and public housing in the buffer zones.
According to Law No. 11/1974 on water resources, natural lakes and ponds belong to the state and their exploitation is under the control of the state.
"The lakes must be protected because it is important not only for the city water catchment areas, but also for preventing salt water intrusion and maintaining the flood control system," Lukman said.
Topographically, Jakarta is vulnerable to flooding. Last January and February the city was submerged beneath some of the worst floods ever to hit the capital. At least 30 people were killed and thousands others left homeless by the rising water, which crippled traffic and disrupted thousands of telephone lines. The floods left the state with a bill of at least Rp 90 billion.
Records
According to the Ministry of Public Works, six years ago Bogor had 122 lakes with a total area of 561.9 hectares, while Tangerang had 45 lakes with a total area of 1,331 hectares and Bekasi had 12 lakes covering 157.3 hectares.
Lukman said; "Bekasi now has the smallest lake area of only 10 hectares, while Bogor has 316 hectares and Tangerang 362.2 hectares."
Sedimentation and garbage also triggered the disappearance of the lakes. "Some of the lakes have also been turned into paddy fields," Lukman said, citing the records.
The records also said that among the lakes which have dried up in Bogor are Lake Cijantung Hilir (one hectare), Lake Jenggot (0.25 hectares), Lake Ciranji (two hectares) and Lake Gunung Nyungsung (2.5 hectares).
Lake Kemang, one of the largest lakes in Bogor, has sharply decreased from 50 hectares to only five hectares, while the 30- hectare Bojongsari lake has decreased to 20 hectares.
The size of Patrasena lake, the biggest of 45 lakes in Tangerang, has dwindled from 360 hectares to 36 hectares, with all the lost area becoming paddy fields, while four hectares of the former 10-hectare Lake Rompong has become a housing complex.
Almost half of Bekasi's 12 lakes were swallowed by housing and industrial complexes.
The three-hectare Lake Gede, the 15-hectare Lake Abidin and the 28-hectare Lake Cipalahar have already disappeared from Bekasi.
Lukman said the records indicated that improper developments had been carried out by the Bekasi, Bogor and Tangerang administrations. "This has caused a heavy burden on Jakarta," he said.
He cited the disappearance of green belt in Bogor due to the growth of public housing, while Jakarta has designated the areas adjacent to Bogor as water catchment areas.
"There should be one authority to harmonize the development in the Greater Jakarta area," Lukman said.
Furthermore, the administrations should work together to reclaim the lakes and restore them to their original function as water catchment areas, he said. (ste)