Water reservoirs in Greater Jakarta in poor condition

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)