Council irked by water scheme

Source: The Jakarta Post 29/6/2004

TANGERANG: Tangerang Council members reprimanded the administration for its decision to let tap water company PDAM Tirta Kerta Raharja go on with a partnership initiative with an Australian investor without consulting them beforehand.

"Regent Ismet Iskandar cannot decide on such a collaboration of a regental enterprise with a third party without first consulting us, because it concerns public interests," councillor Muin Busni said on Monday. The regent recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the water company and the Australian company -- the name of which has not been disclosed -- to repair the Cikokol water installation under Tangerang municipal jurisdiction and to increase its supply.

Another councillor, Sys Abdulgani, said the council had summoned Ismet to clarify his actions. "We also need to know about the credibility of the foreign investor," he said.

Separately, PDAM Tirta spokesman Anda Suhanda said the Australian investor had channeled the capital via private water company PT Tirta Kencana Mandiri. "The MOU is now a week old, but the partnership has yet to start because we're still awaiting a green light from the council," he told The Jakarta Post from Yogyakarta.

According to Suhanda, the partnership included a cancellation clause, while the MOU would automatically expire if the council rejected it.

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Asian Development Outlook 2004 - Indonesia (ADB)

"Indonesia GDP growth improved modestly in 2003. Private and government consumption provided the impetus, but investment remained weak. The Government outlined a series of reforms to follow on from its IMF program exit. Although slightly faster GDP growth is expected in the next 2 years, to achieve higher growth rates and create employment over the longer term, the Government needs to improve the investment climate, strengthen its judicial and regulatory institutions, overcome infrastructure constraints, and resolve outstanding decentralization issues."

Asian Development Outlook 2004 - Click here to read report

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Wagub Nu'man Lakukan Penanaman Pohon di Punclut

Web Site Pemerintah Jawa Barat: "11:12:21,2004-06-14
Wagub Nu'man Lakukan Penanaman Pohon di Punclut

Wagub Nu'man disertai Walikota Bandung, Dada Rosada, Minggu (13/6) melakukan penanaman pohon di sekitar Lapangan sepak bola Punclut Kota Bandung. Secara serentak masyarakat Kampung Punclut juga menanam pohon di sekitar lingkungannya masing-masing.

Pada kesempatan itu, Wagub Nu�man mengingatkan semua pihak akan pentingnya menjaga kelestarian lingkungan dengan menanam pohon di sekitarnya, karena ia memprediksikan pada dua puluh tahun kedepan Bandung akan menjadi Kota Mati, apabila Bandung dan daerah Punclut tidak dikelola dengan baik dan warganya tidak peduli terhadap lingkungan.

Hal demikian dapat dirasakan oleh kita pada masa sekarang dimana ketika dimusim kemarau terjadi kekurangan air, padahal air, adalah sumber kehidupan kita, ujar Nu�man.

Saat ini, PDAM diperkirakan sangat kesulitan dalam penyediaan air bagi mencukup kehidupan masyarakat Kota Bandung, oleh karena itu pengambilan air bawah tanah yang tidak terkendali harus segera dihentikan, tegas Wagub Nu�man.

Selain itu, lahan-lahan kritis yang saat ini terjadi di berbagai daerah termasuk pulu kawasan Punclut harus segera ditanami pohon apalagi pepohonan itu merupakan paru-paru kota.

Dengan cara bagaimanapun, pembangunan itu harus berkelanjutan, yaitu ramah lingkungan dan ditanami berbagai pepohonan, hasilnya nanti akan dirasakan oleh anak cucu kita, demikian ajakan Wagub Nu�man.

Sementara itu Walikota Bandung ketika berdialog dengan masyarakat kawasan Punclut yang diwakili oleh tiga forum masyarakat Punclut mengajak untuk peduli terhadap lingkungannya dengan cara menanaminya dengan pepohonan. Hal ini semua akan sangat bermanfaat, baik bagi warga sekitar kawasan Punclut, maupun bagi warga Kota Bandung umumnya.

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Consumers told to cut tap water usage

Bambang Nurbianto and Evi Mariani, Jakarta

For Lita, a 28-year-old mother of two, staying awake every night is no fun at all. After all, she's not staying up to watch the soccer matches during Euro 2004, but for to watch for water from her taps in her house in Karet, Central Jakarta.

Lita has been experiencing a water shortage since Monday when the tap water supply stopped completely. On Wednesday, she felt relief as the water started to drip at around 11 p.m. before it stopped again an hour later.

As a result, Lita, who produces wedding souvenirs in the small workshop in her home, has had big problems supplying the water needs of the six people in the house.

"I didn't call the 24-hour customer service line because I knew already what the officer there would have told me. I'm really worried because the water supply is causing problems even though it is not the dry season yet," she told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Lita recalled how she had to buy dozens of plastic containers of water from the supplier in the neighborhood, around one-kilometer away from her home.

"If the water supply is going to be cut off, Palyja (PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya) should have made a schedule for every area so that we know when we should store water," she said.

Jack, a tenant of an apartment in Kuningan, South Jakarta, was a bit luckier. The apartment management announced to its tenants last Friday that they would ration the water supply following the receipt of a notice from water utility.

"It's very inconvenient for me late at night. Outside the designated hours, we have no water," he complained, adding that the water ran from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

"So, from 10 p.m. on, we can't take a shower, wash the dishes or flush the toilet," he added.

Palyja spokeswoman Maria Sidabutar told the Post that the company, which serves the western part of Jakarta, had been experiencing raw water supply shortages since early June.

"Since June 13, the water supply from Perum Jasa Tirta II in Kalimalang has been only around 3,700 liters per second. It was far below the normal 5,400 liters per second," she said.

Jasa Tirta receives its water supply from the Jatiluhur dam in Purwakarta, West Java, via the West Tarum Canal.

She said the water supply had just returned to normal at 10 a.m. on Saturday, but there was no guarantee that the raw water supply would continue to be sufficient. Therefore, she called on consumers to be economical with the use of water.

Palyja had announced earlier that water restrictions would be imposed on some areas of Central Jakarta, North Jakarta and South Jakarta.

The areas affected are Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Thamrin, the National Monument (Monas) area, Jl. Kalibata and the Harmoni area.

According to Maria, if the raw water supply to Palyja reaches 5,400 liters per second, the restrictions can be lifted.

Consumers can seek further information using Palyja's 24-hour hotline at (021) 57986555.

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