Govt to provide poor with potable water
Govt to provide poor with potable water
JAKARTA (JP): The government will allocate a portion of its
fuel subsidy savings for the construction of potable water
reservoirs for at least 1.5 million urban poor in 30 regencies
across Java.
Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Erna
Witoelar revealed on Monday that her ministry would disburse most
of the Rp 174 billion subsidy to people in 150 drought-prone
areas.
Erna called the program an initial one due to the fact that
there were 328 areas suffering from water shortages in the
island's six provinces.
"This year's subsidy savings are adequate only to cover
between 50 and 60 percent of the drought-prone areas," she told a
media briefing at her office.
The program will be conducted between July and December,
focusing on the provision of affordable potable water to the poor
while, in the long run, empowering the people by allowing them to
manage the reservoirs.
Erna further said that residents in the such areas would be
entrusted with overseeing the expenditure of the funds if they
were capable of controlling and sustaining resources within their
areas.
"The government will only serve as the program's technical
facilitator, while the ministry of finance will disburse the
funds directly to the people through community accounts," she
explained.
Secretary to the director-general of urban and village
development, Rachmad Karnadi, said the people who would benefit
from the funds lived in areas which were located far from local
government-owned water utilities and had no access to ground
water.
"In these areas, residents have to buy potable water for Rp
500 or Rp 1,000 per liter each day, which means, for water alone,
they have to spend one eighth of their average Rp 100,000 in
monthly income," he said.
By comparison, he added, those who earn Rp 10 million per
month consumed 120 liters of tap water per day, which meant only
0.3 percent of their salary.
"Hopefully, the program can help the poor to have access to at
least 20 to 40 liters of water per day at a low price," Rachmad
remarked.
He said that the government would also provide public hydrants
for people living in areas situated less than three kilometers
from a water utility company pipe, while those who live beyond
this limit would be provided with water tanks or artesian
wells.(bby)