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)