Ground in North Jakarta gradually subsiding
Ground in North Jakarta gradually subsiding
JAKARTA (JP): The ground in North Jakarta is subsiding and
will drop by as much as four meters in the next three decades if
the current groundwater exploitation is not properly controlled,
according to a government official.
Soeparmono, director general of water resources development at
the Ministry of Public Works said yesterday that the calamity
will take place if the excessive use of groundwater by households
and industries is not controlled, Antara reported.
"Some areas around Jl. RE Martadinata and Penjaringan have
subsided by between 70 cm and one meter," Soeparmono told
reporters after opening a seminar on the use of water resources
yesterday.
He said that by 2025 ground level subsidence would endanger
multi-story buildings, roads and bridges in the area.
Soeparmono did not say if similar circumstances would also
happen in other mayoralties. He did not compare the use of
groundwater in each mayoralty.
Some years ago the Ministry of Public Works announced that
groundwater exploitation had also caused Jl. Gunung Sahari in
Central Jakarta and the main thoroughfares Jl. MH Thamrin and Jl.
Jend. Sudirman to gradually subside.
Without revealing the exact data, Soeparmono said that
groundwater has been exploited excessively in North Jakarta. He
predicted that groundwater use will still be high in 30 years
time due to continuing high demand in the capital city, whereas
the capacity of the Ciliwung and Cisadane rivers, which supply
water to Jakarta residents, is limited.
The Ciliwung river now supplies 10 cubic meters of water per
second to greater Jakarta areas, while the demand is now 30 cubic
meters per second.
"By 2025 the demand for water is projected to reach 70 cubic
meters per second," Soeparmono said.
The only way to reduce the excessive use of groundwater is to
supply more water to the residents. "Water from the Karyan
reservoir, which holds the water from the Cidurian and Citarum
rivers in West Java, will be supplied to Jakarta via the Kali
Malang canal," he said.
Jakarta gets most of its water from the multi-purpose Juanda
dam in West Java. Some additional water for Jakarta comes from
the Cisadane river, also in West Java.
In an effort to preserve the groundwater, Soeparmono called on
the city administration to be tougher on highrise buildings which
have been using abundant groundwater.
The seminar was sponsored by the Ministry of Public Works, the
Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the Indonesian
National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage.
It also discussed the preventative steps that could be taken
to stop land subsidence due to groundwater exploitation. (sur)