Solve water problem now!
Solve water problem now!
I refer to the two articles in The Jakarta Post on July 4,
2001 and July 6, 2001 regarding the lack of water supply to West
and South Jakarta.
I was amazed to read Mr. Pierre Alla's comments that PT PAM
Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) is being asked to pay a 25 percent
increase on the current Rp 915 per cubic meter and this is too
high. Why is it too high when you charge us between Rp 2,500 and
Rp 3,500 per cubic meter?
While I agree that the continual increase of water prices over
the last two years has been high, I am not sure that Mr. Pierre
Alla of Palyja is actually living in the real world. He says that
PAM Tangerang has recently reduced the water supply because of
the dispute over the price. However, the residents of Taman Surya
5 have had a poor water supply for as long as we can remember. He
is well aware of this because I spoke to him about it following
my previous letter the in Your Letters column in April 2001. Mr.
Alla called me and assured me that the problem would be addressed
-- of course there has been no result.
Now he is blaming the problem on PAM Tangerang. Does he know
how much it costs for us to buy water from an alternative source?
Far more than will be saved by his negotiating with PAM Tangerang
I can assure you. For your information the private water
companies are charging Rp 20,000 per cubic meter. In the meantime
we still have to pay our monthly service charge with no discount
for poor service.
If Mr. Alla insists that we customers should be patient, maybe
he would like to live here and I will live in his house until he
completes his negotiations. Water is and always has been
essential of human life, and as this problem does not seem to be
caused by droughts or water shortages, I suggest both companies
stop behaving like spoiled children and sort this problem out
now.
Also while we thank the Jakarta governor for involving himself
in this dispute, can I respectfully ask him to keep his comments
constructive, he should involve himself in the negotiations and
try to help reach an immediate agreement rather than ordering
PAM Jakarta to stop buying water from the very company he is
meant to negotiate with.
Mr. Alla -- solve the problem now -- please offer a solution
as to how we can receive water in the meantime. Talk to the
governor and arrange for the city to help deliver water by tanker
to the affected areas. The only way we will ever be able to
receive water is with the help of the Jakarta administration,
because your own employees always refuse to deliver water to us.
ALAN ROBSON
Jakarta