Surjadi asks people to conserve water

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja reiterated yesterday the importance of saving water during the current dry season, urging middle and upper-class people to pay attention to his call.

He said in City Hall that Jakartans should prepare for the most unexpected circumstances of this year's long, dry spell.

"Use water as efficiently as possible. If people, mainly those in the middle and upper-class, usually wash their cars three times a day, once should be enough for now," Surjadi said with a smile.

He said it was necessary for people to reduce water usage in unnecessary activities due to the limited capability of city- owned water company PAM Jaya to supply an ample amount of water.

"Even if the existing water supply is used under normal circumstances, the city is still projected to face water shortages," Surjadi said.

He made the remarks following reports of areas throughout the city having water-shortage problems.

"I've ordered the city's five mayors to provide water to people who face water problems," Surjadi said.

The mayors were also asked to identify the areas which would likely be hardest hit by the scarcity of water, he said.

Meanwhile, head of the City Mining Agency, Arifin Akbar, said yesterday that the city would intensify fee collection from owners of artesian wells, who consume more than 50 cubic meters of water a month.

"The stricter collection of fees is intended mainly to help people use water more efficiently," Arifin said.

According to city regulation No. 2/1994, each artesian well owner has to pay Rp 1,000 (38 U.S. cents) per cubic meter of water used, if between 50 and 1,000 cubic meters is used per month.

The city, however, could not strictly implement fee collection due to the lack of supervision.

"We'll make a study on the use of artesian wells throughout the city soon," Akbar said, adding that it would be done in stages.

"If people don't use their artesian wells much, they won't have to pay the fees," Akbar said.

Last month, some areas started facing water problems. Among those hardest hit were Kedoya and Cengkareng in West Jakarta; Pasar Minggu, Kebayoran Baru and Pakubuwono in South Jakarta; and Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta.

Some wells in the city have also dried up.

Critics have warned the administration on the change of city planning, where areas initially allocated for water catchment or public parks, were changed into public facilities or other places, such as offices and gas stations. (ste)