Water reservoirs in Greater Jakarta in poor condition

JAKARTA (JP): About 60 percent of the 193 water reservoirs in Greater Jakarta are in a shabby state of repair due to poor maintenance and people's lack of awareness about their use as a water catchment, an official said yesterday.

Siswoko, the head of the Regional Control Agency of the Ciliwung and Cisadane Rivers, told The Jakarta Post that many residents living near the reservoirs pay little attention to their condition and that some of them have become dangerously shallow.

"Sometimes people do that on purpose because the land is needed to dump garbage on or to be converted into residential sites," Siswoko said.

"Besides the lack of people's awareness, natural factors such as fast-growing weeds and sedimentation also cause the reservoirs to become more shallow," he said.

The reservoirs are small artificial lakes, usually used to store water and function as water catchments, he said.

"They really help us save water during the dry season and to retain water in the rainy season.

"Due to the rapid growth of development, however, people need more space for housing and other facilities. Their eyes are 'green' when they see an area that can be used for their needs," he said.

Siswoko admitted that his office could not do a lot to preserve the artificial lakes due to a lack of money.

"We only have limited funds to preserve them," he said.

Dirty

Much of the water pooled in the reservoirs often turns dirty because it is heavily polluted by garbage and waste water.

"It's shameful that people damage their own life-support systems on purpose. Water should be maintained for the sake of our future," he said.

In order to prevent people from changing the function of water reservoirs, his office has set up gates around several artificial lakes throughout Greater Jakarta.

"In Depok and Bogor we have managed to build fences around the boundaries of the reservoirs. We are also working on guidelines jointly with the Ministry of Home Affairs for the maintenance of the lakes," he said.

The status of nine reservoirs in the city has been legally guaranteed by documents to protect them from being appropriated.

His office has also tried to cooperate with private sector companies to develop reservoirs into water tourism and recreation sites.

"We have already made one in Bogor, namely the Bogor Lake Side. We intend to develop this kind of tourism business to gain more money for the maintenance of the lakes," he added.

City Councilor Lukman Mokoginta from Commission D for development affairs said after a round-trip to watch a flood prevention program in five dams in Jakarta that this year's preparations were much better than last year's.

"This year we have more water pumps and new water gates and in every post there are rescue teams," he said.

At present Jakarta has 200 water gates spread throughout the city's rivers and dams.

"I urged the residents to be ready for possible floods during this rainy season and told them to please stop dumping trash into the rivers," Lukman said. (edt)