Councilor worries about sharp drop of lake areas

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)