Jakarta is sinking fast, agency says

Source: The Jakarta Post

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The construction of high-rise buildings and the overexploitation of groundwater has caused the capital to sink by up to 100 centimeters over the past 12 years, according to an expert.

Citing a joint study with PT Succonfindo, City Mining Agency head Haris Pindratno said over the weekend the sinkage would undermine any efforts to mitigate the flooding that has plagued the capital over the past few years.

Data provided by the agency indicates the land subsidence varies from one place to another, with North Jakarta experiencing the greatest amount of sinkage.

"The land along Jl. Sunter Kebayoran was 3.42 meters above sea level in 1993, but it stands at just 2.4 meters this year," said Haris, adding that swampy areas in North Jakarta converted into residential areas, offices and commercial space experienced the most severe land subsidence.

Dozens of high-rise hotels, apartments, offices, malls and shopping centers are erected across this city of 12 million people every year. According to official estimates, some 250 million cubic meters of water is removed from beneath Jakarta every year.

Haris said the construction of new buildings contributed 80 percent to land subsidence, water exploitation 17 percent and natural land subsidence only 3 percent.

"This means that Jakarta's land continues to sink as the construction of massive high-rise buildings and excessive water exploitation continues unabated," Haris said.

The agency said that from 1999 to 2005, land in North Jakarta sank by between two centimeters and eight centimeters per year, West Jakarta by 2.2 centimeters, East Jakarta by 1.3 to three centimeters and South Jakarta by two centimeters.

The survey also found that a six-story building measuring 30 meters by 40 meters in Central Jakarta could cause up to 71 centimeters of land subsidence within 20 years.

"If a six-story building can cause up to 71 centimeters of land subsidence, how about buildings that are 30-stories or higher," Haris said.

Most of Jakarta's skyscrapers are found along Jl. Rasuna Said and Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta, and Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta.

According to Haris, continued land sinkage would undercut efforts to stop annual flooding in the city.

He also called for more money from the budget for water conservation projects in the capital.

Haris said tax revenue from groundwater reached Rp 52 billion (US$5.778 million) last year, but the city allocated only Rp 250 million to construct 45 reservoirs.

"The city increased the allocation for similar projects to Rp 527 million this year," he said, adding that Jakarta needed some 9,000 more water reservoirs. Currently, the city has about 6,400 reservoirs.

Land subsidence in Jakarta

No. Location Height above Height above sea Land

sea level in 1993 level in 2005 Subsidence

(in meters) (in meters) (in centimeters)

1. Jl. Gadang, 2.03 1.46 57

North Jakarta

2. Jl. Raya Kapuk, 2.32 2.11 21

West Jakarta

3. Jl. Pulo Gebang, 11.62 11.45 17

East Jakarta

4. Jl. Raya Pasar 28.76 28.46 30

Minggu,

South Jakarta

5. Jl. Sunter, 3.42 2.40 102

North Jakarta

Source: City Mining Agency

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Flooding worsens in south Bandung

Source: The Jakarta Post

The Jakarta Post, Bandung/Yogyakarta



Heavy rain over the last two days has increased the area under water in south Bandung regency, with 18 out of 45 districts inundated on Thursday in what is said to be the worst flooding in the last 10 years.

A deficient drainage system and chaotic waste management in Bandung municipality are being blamed for the floods, which have lead to a shortage of food and potable water in the worst affected areas.

Sunarya, a 43-year-old resident of Citepus subdistrict, Dayeuhkolot, criticized the Bandung administration's lack of concern for the flood victims as it was currently focusing all of its attention on the garbage slide at a dump outside Bandung.

She said that the flood victims had received little attention, forcing them to search for food and potable water on their own.

"Our house has been inundated by water for five days now. How can we get food when the factory where I work has also been affected by the floods," said the mother of three.

This time around, the floods have also affected normally flood-free areas, such as Bojongsoang, Margaasih and Majalaya districts. Hundreds of houses in Bandung municipality were also inundated by floodwater of up to 20 centimeters deep.

The director of Bandung regency's Disaster Prevention Coordination Unit, Edin Hendradin, admitted he had little time to concern himself with the flood victims as he was busy attending meetings to deal with the landslide disaster.

According to figures from 18 districts, more than 30,000 homes housing around 100,000 people have been hit by the floods.

"Most of the people there are used to floods and they know how to help themselves. We in the regental administration are still concentrating on the garbage slide. I'm sorry," Edin told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Dayeuhkolot residents, especially those in Citepus and Cangkuang villages, urged the administration to dredge the Citarum river. More than 20,000 people in Dayeuhkolot have been living in shelters for the last five days since their homes were inundated by floodwaters of up to a meter deep.

"We want the river dredged as soon as possible as it costs us a great deal to live in the shelters. We can't work and our belongings are all gone," said Inen, head of Dayeuhkolot district's information section.

The lack of concern was clear from the dearth of aid donated to the flood victims. A previous donation from the Indonesian Red Cross is almost finished, with only 30 boxes of instant noodles, two boxes of mineral water and two boxes of biscuits left.

West Java Environmental Impact Management Agency director Ade Suhanda blamed poorly developed drainage systems in north Bandung for worsening the flooding in south Bandung.

"A primitive drainage system, as well as damaged water ducts and garbage result in the runoff from the rain flowing directly into the lower lying areas in south Bandung," he said, adding that any river dredging project would be a waste if the drainage and waste disposal systems were not upgraded.

"The Citarum was deepened by three meters in 1999 but the endless garbage and silt have rendered the effort useless," he said.

Flooding also hit Yogyakarta after heavy rain on Wednesday, which resulted in the Code river bursting its banks and inundating houses with water up to a meter in depth.

Hundreds of residents, who moved to higher ground with their families on Wednesday, returned to their homes on Thursday.

A Jogoyudan resident, Suryanto, said the water level of the river started to rise on Wednesday afternoon and by 8 p.m. that evening, it had reached four meters high at the nearby sluice gate.

"We've been preparing for the worst so when the warning came that there would be flooding, we quickly moved to safety," said Suryanto, whose house was inundated to a depth of one meter.

Local irrigation office director Joko Santoso said that flooding was an annual problem in the area.

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Water On The Drain

Source: The Jakarta Post




A woman in Kampung Pulo, East Jakarta, pumps water for household usage from a well situated on a bank of the Ciliwung river. Due to a poorly developed pipe-water network, many Jakarta residents are forced to take their water from wells located along heavily polluted rivers like the Ciliwung. (JP/P.J.Leo)

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Flood victims face food, clean water shortages

Source: The Jakarta Post



Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Over 30,000 flood victims in Dayeuhkolot and Baleendah districts in South Bandung regency were on Tuesday trying to cope with food and clean water shortages after fleeing their homes in the wake of freak floods over the weekend.

With less rain on Monday, the floodwaters, said to be the worst in over a decade, subsided by about 30 centimeters in most areas but remained between 150 cm and 250 cm high on Tuesday, with an estimated 65,000 houses in four subdistricts affected.

Head of the information section at the Dayeuhkolot district office, Inen, said the number of flood victims staying in temporary shelters had reached 22,948 people on Tuesday.

Most of the flood victims are holed up in mosques, public buildings and the two main posts set up for flood victims on the grounds of the Dayeuhkolot district office compound in Citeureup village.

Inen complained about the lack of donations to help the flood victims, even though villagers lost almost everything except the clothes on their backs.

"Still at this point, we're having problems providing food and clean water for them... they badly need blankets and clothes," Inen told journalists in Bandung on Tuesday.

According to the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), the victims had received donations from the PMI's Bandung branch, which said it handed out 275 kilograms of rice, 20 boxes of instant noodles and six boxes of mineral water.

Inen added that the hardest-hit areas were Pasawahan, Citeureup, Cangkuan Wetan and Dayeuhkolot subdistricts. The overflowing Citarum river's tributaries -- Cipalasari, Cikapundung Kolot, Cigede, Cisuminta and Citepus rivers -- were cited as the main cause of the floods.

A lack of food and clean water was also a problem for approximately 12,000 displaced persons in Baleendah district's four villages -- Rancamanyar, Andir, Baleendah and Bojong.

The head of the development and community protection section at Bandung regency, Edin Hendradin, said on Tuesday that efforts to solicit donations for the flood victims had not really begun in earnest because flooding was fairly regular in those areas.

Moreover, the regency administration was also busy with the deadly "garbage-slide" in the villages adjacent to Leuwigajah dump in south Cimahi, where mountains of garbage collapsed and flattened at least 70 houses. Over 40 people have been found dead and almost 90 were still missing as of Tuesday afternoon.

"We'll divide the locations (of the disasters). Hopefully, the flood subsides soon so the residents can take care of their own needs and we can focus on the landslide," Edin said.

Floods in south Bandung also swamped hundreds of houses in Majalaya district's seven villages -- Majakerta, Majasetra, Sukamaju, Sukamukti, Bojong, Padamulya and Majalaya -- but the water subsided a day later.

Bandung regency's council speaker, Husni Mutaqien, who visited flood victims in Dayeuhkolot on Monday night, urged the administration to concentrate on its river-dredging project in the Citarum and its tributaries.

Inen went on to say that the regency should also urge the Bandung city administration, which is located on higher ground, to work together to prevent more floods.

"The Bandung city administration should repair the drainage system there and add more water catchment areas so the waters will not rush down in to our villages," he said.

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53% Utang PDAM masih macet (53% PDAM Debt still stalling)

Source: Bisnis Indonesia



Menkeu tolak hapus tunggakan Rp2,6 triliun

JAKARTA (Bisnis): Pemerintah menegaskan tidak akan menghapus pinjaman pada perusahaan daerah air minum (PDAM) senilai Rp2,6 triliun, tanpa disertai rencana perbaikan pengelolaan air minum yang meyakinkan.

Dalam laporan Pelaksanaan Program 100 Hari Departemen Keuangan disebutkan tunggakan PDAM pada pemerintah mencapai Rp2,64 triliun atau sekitar 53,13% dari utang perusahaan daerah pengelola air bersih bagi masyarakat tersebut.

English Translation

The minister for finance denied removed arrears Rp2,6 triliun

Jakarta (Bisnis): the Government stressed will not remove the loan to the company of the area of the drinking water (PDAM) with a value of Rp2,6 trillion, without being accompanied by the plan of the improvement of the management of the convincing drinking water.

In the report on the Implementation of the Program 100 days of the Department of Finance were named by PDAM arrears to the government reached Rp2,64 trillion or approximately 53,13% of the clean debt of the company of the area of the water manager for this community.

Sampai saat ini pemerintah menerima 148 usulan restrukturisasi utang dari PDAM, namun baru 30 PDAM yang dianggap memenuhi persyaratan data pendukung.

Dari 30 PDAM tersebut sebanyak 20 PDAM yang mengajukan restrukturisasi utang melalui Persatuan Perusahaan Air Minum di Indonesia (Perpamsi) dan 20 PDAM ke Depkeu.

"Apabila penghapusan disetujui maka diyakini akan dapat memperbaiki pengelolaan air minum sesuai dengan rencana perbaikan yang disusun oleh pengelola air minum," tulis dokumen Depkeu yang diperoleh pekan lalu itu.

Menteri Keuangan Jusuf Anwar sendiri mengatakan pemerintah tetap berkomitmen untuk menyehatkan pengelolaan air bersih bagi masyarakat, namun kebijakan itu tidak ditujukan untuk menghapus tunggakan PDAM.

"Bahwa pada akhirnya dalam upaya ini diperlukan berbagai penghapusan tunggakan, hal ini adalah konsekuensi dari upaya penyehatan [pengelolaan air bersih], dan bukan tujuan utama dari program pemerintah dimaksud," kata Menkeu dalam laporan itu.

Upaya penyehatan pengelolaan air minum, tulis laporan Depkeu itu, melalui dua pendekatan yaitu secara individual pada setiap PDAM penunggak dan kolektif pada seluruh PDAM di Tanah Air.

"[Pendekatan individual] merupakan [paling] ideal, namun proses pendekatan pada masing-masing PDAM akan membutuhkan waktu lama untuk mengatasi tunggakan PDAM di Indonesia."

Keterbatasan itu, lanjut laporan tersebut, mendorong pemerintah memilih pendekatan kolektif yang memakan waktu relatif pendek. Namun, pendekatan kolektif itu terhambat semangat PDAM untuk diberi fasilitas penghapusan tunggakan.

Pengaruhi RDI

Jika pemerintah bersedia menghapus tunggakan PDAM tersebut maka akan mempengaruhi posisi rekening dana investasi (RDI) yang diciptakan untuk menampung pos transaksi keuangan seperti itu.

Penghapusan piutang pemerintah sendiri diatur dalam Peraturan Pemerintah tentang Tata Cara Penghapusan Piutang Negara/ Daerah, sementara di level Depkeu saat ini masih disiapkan peraturan menteri keuangan sebagai aturan pelaksana PP tersebut.

Dalam PP tentang tata cara penghapusan piutang disebutkan penghapusan sampai dengan Rp10 miliar bisa diselesaikan melalui menteri keuangan dan mesti disetujui presiden jika proposal pemutihan piutang berada dalam kisaran Rp10 miliar-Rp100 miliar.

Apabila nilai piutang yang akan dihapus di atas Rp100 miliar, maka pemerintah mesti mendapat persetujuan dari DPR.

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148 PDAM Ajukan Restrukturisasi Utang (148 PDAM put forward restructuring of debt)

Source: Suara Pembaruan



JAKARTA - Pemerintah sampai saat ini telah menerima 148 usul restrukturisasi utang Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum (PDAM) yang mencapai Rp 2,64 triliun. Dari usul itu, setelah diinventarisasi, hanya 30 PDAM yang persyaratan data pendukungnya mendekati lengkap.

Adapun sikap pemerintah menanggapi usulan penghapusan terhadap tunggakan PDAM tersebut adalah tidak akan ada penghapusan yang disetujui tanpa disertai rencana perbaikan pengelolaan air minum yang meyakinkan bahwa ke depannya upaya penyehatan pengelolaan air minum dapat terwujud sesuai dengan yang diharapkan.

Hal itu tertuang dalam arsip Pelaksanaan Program 100 Hari Departemen Keuangan, yang diterima pekan lalu.

English Translation

Jakarta - the Government until this accepted 148 proposals of the restructuring of the debt of the Company of the Area of the Drinking Water (PDAM) that reached Rp 2,64 trillion. From the proposal, after being inventoried, only 30 PDAM that his condition for the supporting data approaching complete.

Adapun of the government attitude responded to the abolition proposal towards these PDAM arrears was to not have the abolition that was agreed to without being accompanied by the plan of the improvement of the management of the convincing drinking water that to the front efforts of sanitation of the drinking water management could be realised in accordance with that was hoped for.

That was poured in the archives of the Implementation of the Program 100 days of the Department of Finance, that was received last week.

Keterpurukan PDAM itu di antaranya karena pembuatan infrastruktur PDAM yang tidak berhasil atau terlalu mahal, jumlah karyawan yang terlalu banyak, penagihan yang tidak efektif, serta biaya operasi yang tidak dapat ditutup dari tarif yang dibayar masyarakat.

''Terlepas dari apa maupun siapa yang menjadi faktor penyebab terjadinya berbagai masalah tersebut, dengan mempertimbangkan urgensi kebutuhan air minum bagi masyarakat, maka Pemerintah menempatkan persoalan ini dalam prioritas yang harus segera diselesaikan," ujar Menteri Keuangan, Jusuf Anwar, dalam dokumen tersebut.

Pemerintah mengakui, dari 148 usul restrukturisasi utang PDAM, hanya 30 PDAM yang persyaratan data pendukungnya mendekati lengkap. Dari 30 PDAM itu, 20 PDAM mengajukan permohonan restrukturisasi melalui Perpamsi dan 10 PDAM mengajukan ke Depkeu.

Masing-masing PDAM itu mengharapkan adanya perlakuan khusus berupa penghapusan atas tunggakan pinjamannya. Prosedur dan perlakuan khusus kepada PDAM itu memang berdasarkan hasil kesepakatan antara DPR dan Pemerintah.

Kendati demikian, sesuai UU 1/2004 tentang Perbendaharaan Negara yang merupakan payung hukum dari penghapusan tunggakan, yang juga tertuang dalam Peraturan Pemerintah tentang Tata Cara Penghapusan Piutang Negara/Daerah, disebutkan untuk penghapusan di atas Rp 10 miliar ditetapkan oleh Presiden.

Sedangkan penghapusan utang sampai Rp 10 miliar ditetapkan oleh Menteri Keuangan.

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Class action should be filed by tap water customers

Source: The Jakarta Post



JJ Amstrong Sembiring, Jakarta

Already angry over a drinking water rate hike in January 2004, tap water customers in Jakarta are now being subject to another 8.14 percent rate increase.

Water consumers are again the objects of arbitrariness on the part of an administration that is supposed to regulate and control the supply of basic commodities and act in the interests of the public.

The planned rate increase is very controversial, at least in connection with the role of foreign private firms in the water business over the last five years and the fact that the quality of service has not been improved. Complaints are frequently lodged against local water company (PAM Jaya), which is owned by the Jakarta administration.

There are several negative aspects to the latest rate hike. First, the rate is inversely proportional to the quality of service, as indicated by a reduction in or even a complete absence of water flow, muddy or brownish water, a chemical odor to the water and worm-contaminated water, as reported by a customer of PAM Jaya.

This negligence is a clear violation of Article 1365 of the Civil Code, which requires compensation to be paid for acts that cause great "loss" to the public.

In some areas of Jakarta, people use tap water from PAM Jaya only for bathing and cleaning. They pay more to purchase mineral water for drinking purposes.

The water billing system is another example of how things are poorly managed. For instance, legal expert Harun Alrasyid filed a police report against PT Thames PAM Jaya (TPJ) because he was fined Rp 5,000 for allegedly paying his water bill late in November 1999. It was later proven that he paid his bill over a week before the due date.

Second, the new rate increase could drive away consumers, which in the medium term would effect technical targets that need to be achieved. The rate increase could also lead to more people using underground water sources, which is eventually detrimental to the environment.

Third, the higher rates fail to take into consideration the purchasing power of the majority of the people in Jakarta.

These three factors lead us to surmise certain requirements that must be fulfilled if water prices are to be raised fairly.

First, the quality of water and service should be improved. Customer complaints must be responded to, because as subscribers customers are required to pay their monthly bills on time and at a fixed rate.

Second, water should be accessible to all subscribers without discrimination. Water is a staple to human life.

Third, rates should be oriented to consumers' purchasing power. If drinking water is expensive, some people may not be able to afford it. In the United States, water rates are determined by the city council, which calculates the purchasing power of subscribers. If, as a result of increased rates, the water company exceeds its targeted profit levels the "surplus" is "returned" to consumers.

In Indonesia, under a variety of excuses, water companies keep raising water prices. This happened in Bandung, Tangerang, Kuningan regency and Palembang.

In Jakarta, rate increases were introduced due to sharp hikes in the costs of production, operation and distribution, following higher rates of inflation from 2001 to 2003. Nevertheless, the decision by a state-owned company, whose "product" directly effects the welfare of the majority of people, to connect rate increases to inflation should be questioned.

The same is true of the argument that rates were raised because Jakarta's water rates are lower than those in Semarang and Banjarmasin.

Water rate assumptions vary from one region to another owing to various factors such as local demand for clean water, the size of the population, the number of subscribers, the quality and quantity of available standard water sources, etc.

One major problem is that the regulatory body for clean water management formed by the Jakarta regional administration -- pursuant to a gubernatorial decision -- which performs the function of policy making and control, is not independent and has no public orientation.

It is thus in no position to claim to act on behalf of water customers.

It therefore can be argued that if water rates remain incompatible with the quality of service provided, customers can file a class action.

In the view of the Jakarta Drinking Water Subscribers Community (KOMPARTA), this action would be in line with Law No. 8/1999 on consumer protection.

The writer is a lawyer and founder of KOMPARTA.

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Flooding displaces 50,000 in Bandung

Source: The Jakarta Post



Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Two days of heavy rain forced over 50,000 residents in south Bandung to flee to safety on Monday as their houses were inundated by floodwaters up to three meters high.

The flood, thought to be the biggest in 10 years in south Bandung, occurred after the swollen Citarum river began overflowing its banks on Saturday, combined with heavy rain all weekend.

Two districts, Baleendah and Dayeuhkolot, were the hardest-hit, as the flood also swamped schools and major roads.

Bandung's main road, the Dayeuhkolot-Banjaran highway, has been impassable since Sunday evening, causing a huge traffic jam for people trying to come to Bandung via the route. Most chose to detour to the Soreang-Margahayu highway or through Cibaduyut.

Tono, a staff member at the Baleendah district administration office, estimated that around 2,900 houses in the district's four villages -- Andir, Baleendah, Rancamanyar and Bojong -- were affected. He added that 12,300 residents were displaced and had sought shelter elsewhere.

On Monday, hundreds of residents from Andir were reportedly holed up inside the Baleendah district office and other offices in Bandung regency.

"We're still having problems evacuating the refugees and in accommodating them due to the lack of tents. But today, we'll build a public kitchen," head of Baleendah district Tery Rusidan was quoted as saying by Antara on Monday.

He added that some residents were trapped on top of their roofs, so a rescue team had to pick them up using the limited number of available boats.

While inspecting the flooded areas on Monday, head of the education office at Baleendah district, Yayat Hendayana, estimated that over 2,600 students would be unable to attend school until the water subsided.

He said his staff had received many phone calls about the disaster. "Many ask us for help but we can't do much since many of the areas are hard to reach," Yayat was quoted by Antara as saying.

A teacher from SD Jati II elementary school, Yetty Nuryati, said her house was inundated by water two meters high.

"We can't eat anything because all of our food was washed away," Yetty exclaimed. "We also are having problems finding potable water."

Antara reported that two flood victims in Baleendah, Aji and Nani Herawati, were taken to Al Ihsan hospital for treatment. They nearly drowned and were suffering from severe shock and hypothermia.

According to the hospital's doctor, Tedi Rasmadi, Aji was suffering from hypothermia after he tried to get through the water to save some of his belongings at his house in the Cigado area.

"Since the water is two meters high and Aji cannot swim, he had problems," Dr. Tedi succinctly explained to the journalists.

The other victim, Nani, was taken to the hospital after suffering a seizure at a shelter near the Baleendah subdistrict office

In Dayeuhkolot district, the worst-hit areas were Dayeuhkolot, Citereup, Cangkuan Wetan and Pasawahan villages where the floodwater reached three meters high.

Head of information section at Dayeuhkolot district, Inen, estimated that around 20,000 families, or around 50,000 residents, had been affected by the floods.

"This is the worst flood in the last 10 years. Really bad," Inen told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Evacuation was difficult due to limited numbers of available rubber dinghies. On Monday, only five were available.

"We need at least 20 rubber boats," Inen implored. He revealed that the boats were essential for evacuating the victims since many were still trapped in or on their houses.

Head of Bandung's meteorology and geophysics agency, Hendri Subakti, concluded that there had been a lot of rain over the last three days.

"Since early February, the total amount of precipitation has reached 300 millimeters, while usually it's about 200 mm," he disclosed, while predicting that there would be more rain over the next two days.

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68 Persen Penghasilan PDAM Jaya dari Warga Miskin (68 Percent of PDAM Jaya Production for Poor Citizens)

Source: Suara Pembaruan

JAKARTA - Kenaikan tarif air minum hanya akan membebani rakyat miskin. Pasalnya, sekitar 68 persen penghasilan Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum (PDAM) Jaya justru berasal dari golongan II yang dikategorikan warga miskin.

"Pernyataan bahwa penghasilan PDAM Jaya terbanyak dari golongan menengah ke atas, sama sekali tidak benar. Soalnya 68 persen penghasilan PDAM Jaya berasal dari golongan II atau warga miskin," kata Staf Ahli Komunitas Pelanggan Air Minum Jakarta (Komparta) Poltak H Situmorang di Jakarta, Kamis (17/2).

English Translation

Jakarta - the Rise in the drinking water tariff will only load the poor people.
His article, around 68 percent the production of the Company of the Area of the Drinking Water (PDAM) Jaya precisely came from the group Ii that was categorised by the poor citizen.

The "statement that the PDAM Jaya production most from the middle group above, not at all true." His matter 68 percent the PDAM Jaya production came from the group Ii or the poor citizen, said the Jakarta Staff of the Expert of the Community of the Drinking Water Customer (Komparta) Poltak H Situmorang in Jakarta, Thursday (17/2).

Menurut dia, gembar-gembor Gubernur DKI Jakarta, Sutiyoso, bahwa subsidi air kepada warga miskin, juga tidak benar. Dalam praktiknya, siapa yang memakai air paling banyak, justru menyubsidi konsumen yang konsumsi airnya sedikit.

Dia mencontohkan, di Pondok Indah yang merupakan kawasan perumahan elite, air PDAM digunakan kalau listrik mati karena air tanah di daerah itu sangat baik. Tapi, di Tanjung Priok yang notabene penduduknya warga menengah ke bawah, semuanya menggunakan air PDAM karena air tanahnya sudah tercemar.

"Jadi justru orang miskin di Tanjung Priok yang menyubsidi orang kaya di Pondok Indah. Seharusnya, kalau pemerintah provinsi mau menaikkan tarif air, khususkan untuk golongan menengah ke atas. Jangan pukul rata," ujar Poltak.

Dia mengatakan, pernyataan Gubernur Sutiyoso mengenai tarif air di Jakarta yang lebih murah dari tarif air di Semarang, juga tidak benar. Di sisi lain, tarif rata-rata air di Jakarta justru lebih mahal dibandingkan Semarang.

Poltak menjelaskan, ada perbedaan untuk tarif air dengan tarif rata-rata air. Tarif air biasanya ditentukan oleh Pemda, misalnya untuk golongan IA seperti tempat ibadah. Sedangkan tarif rata-rata air dihitung dari penghasilan yang didapat dari penjualan dibagi volume air yang terjual.

"Masalahnya, yang dibayar pelanggan kan, tarif rata-rata air. Sedangkan yang bayar berdasarkan tarif air atau Rp 500/m3, jumlahnya tidak sampai satu persen dari total pelanggan PDAM," kata Poltak.

Tarif air di Semarang dan Jakarta juga tidak bisa dibandingkan karena kerapatan penduduk di Jakarta lebih tinggi. Di Jakarta, setiap enam meter untuk satu pelanggan PDAM, tapi di Semarang 18 meter satu pelanggan. Hal itu membuat penggunaan pipa di Jakarta lebih efisien daripada di Semarang.

"Itu berarti investasi di Semarang lebih tinggi daripada Jakarta. Jadi untuk daerah padat seperti Jakarta, seharusnya tarif air lebih murah karena investasinya tidak mahal seperti di Semarang dan kota lain yang kerapatan penduduknya jarang," ujar Poltak.

Dia menambahkan, perbandingan tarif air untuk industri di Jakarta juga mahal. Di Singapura, tariff air untuk industri hanya Rp 2.100 per meter kubik sedangkan di Jakarta Rp 9.100/m3.

Dia mengungkapkan, sebenarnya tarif air untuk warga Jakarta normalnya sekitar Rp 600/m3. Tapi kenyataannya, warga Jakarta harus membayar tarif air Rp 5.700/ m3 yang mulai berlaku Februari 2005.

Dia mengungkapkan, menurut Palyja dan TPJ, biaya produksi air yang mereka keluarkan Rp 1.900/m3. Tapi dari Rp 1.900, sekitar Rp 1.200 diambil untuk biaya royalty kepada dua mitra asing. Jadi, biaya produksi air sebenarnya hanya sekitar Rp 600 sampai Rp 700/m3, tapi dijual ke masyarakat dengan tarif Rp 5.700.

"Jadi keuntungan dua mitra asing itu banyak. Selain dapat biaya lisensi, dapat juga water charge. Sementara PDAM tidak kebagian penghasilan. Makanya terus merugi," ujar Poltak.

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Precious Water Source

Source: The Jakarta Post




PRECIOUS WATER SOURCE: Children play at Mata Ie in Aceh Besar regency, once a popular tourist site due to its mountain spring. After the tsunami, people living in nearby shelters have used the spring to take a bath or to do their laundry. (JP/Fadli)

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Proyek Pengelolaan Air Minum Segera Ditenderkan (Projects for Drinking Water Management Immediately Tendered)

Source: Kompas

Jakarta, Kompas - Departemen Pekerjaan Umum akan segera memulai pelaksanaan tender proyek privatisasi pengelolaan air minum yang pernah ditawarkan dalam pertemuan infrastruktur di Jakarta beberapa waktu lalu. Menurut rencana, ada tiga proyek pengelolaan air minum yang prakualifikasi dan tender terbukanya akan mulai dilaksanakan pada bulan Maret mendatang.

Ketiga proyek tersebut adalah sumber air Ciledug, sumber air Ciparen (Ciputat-Pamulang-Pondok Aren, Tangerang), dan sumber air Surakarta-Sukoharjo Solo, Jawa Tengah. "Saat ini, kami sedang menyiapkan dokumen tender tiga proyek tersebut," kata Direktur Jenderal Tata Perkotaan dan Tata Pedesaan Departemen Pekerjaan Umum (DPU) Patana Rantetoding di Jakarta, Selasa (15/2).

English Translation

Jakarta, Kompas - the Department of the Public Works will immediately begin the implementation of the tender for the project of the privatisation of the drinking water management that had been offered in the meeting of the infrastructure in Jakarta some time before. According to plan, there were three projects of the drinking water management that prakualifikasi and the tender for the opening will begin to be carried out to this coming March.

The three projects were the Ciledug source of water, the Ciparen source of water (Ciputat-Pamulang-Hut the Sugar Palm, Tangerang), and the source of water Surakarta-Sukoharjo Solo, Central Java. "At this time, we were preparing the tender document of three projects," said Director General Tata Perkotaan and the Order of rural areas of the Department of the Public Works (DPU) Patana Rantetoding in Jakarta, Tuesday (15/2).

Patana mengungkapkan, selain tiga proyek tersebut, masih ada 17 proyek lainnya yang juga akan ditawarkan kepada pihak swasta. "Jadi, secara keseluruhan ada 20 proyek pengelolaan air minum yang akan kami tawarkan," ujar Patana.

Disebutkan, nilai total investasi untuk 20 proyek privatisasi air minum yang ditawarkan sebesar 380,5 juta dollar AS dengan total kapasitas 14.970 liter per detik. Untuk model kerja sama, pola yang akan ditawarkan kepada investor adalah berbentuk konsesi dan built operation and transfer (BOT).

Diserahkan pemda

Menurut Patana, proses tender sepenuhnya akan diserahkan kepada pemerintah daerah (pemda). "Tender privatisasi air minum itu dilakukan oleh pemda. Peran kami hanya memberikan panduan supaya tender itu sesuai syarat dan peraturan yang ada," paparnya.

Menurut Patana, pengelola air minum harus tetap menjaga keseimbangan antara kepentingan masyarakat dan investasi. "Seperti dalam penetapan tarif awal, kami akan mengusahakan agar tarif tersebut ditetapkan dalam tender. Dengan cara itu, pemerintah pun bisa memilih investor yang menawarkan harga paling murah dengan kualitas pelayanan paling bagus," ujarnya.

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INDOWATER 2005 Expo & Forum

Source: Indowater 2005




INDOWATER 2005 Expo & Forum - Indonesia's No.1 Water and Wastewater Industry Event will once again be the key platform for the industry to meet and do business when it is staged from 29 - 31 March 2005 at the Jakarta Convention Centre, Jakarta, Indonesia. The Indonesian government has put water a priority in response to increasing demand for clean water for both domestic and industrial consumption. In addition, the provision of modern sanitation facilities and sewerage treatment has to be addressed in towns and cities across Indonesia. At the same time, authorities and industrialists are aware of the urgency in proper treatment of industrial wastewater to ensure sustainable growth.

Indonesia represents the best growth potential in the water and wastewater sector in the region. The decentralization of the water supply sector is now underway and major investment is required to upgrade current facilities and to meet growing demand for potable water. The 303 water authorities have targeted to double the production capacity from 96 (l/s) million from 1999 to 184.19 (l/s) million in 2005. During this same period, household connections are projected to triple from 4,748,000 to 12,678,000. Currently, water supply and sanitation projects covering 13 cities in Indonesia costing an estimated US$ 785 million is in progress. Another US$ 1,215 million budget has been approved for similar projects in 29 cities. Plans are underway for water and wastewater projects in 34 cities in Indonesia. Opportunities are abound in water treatment technology for the commercial and industrial sector as water quality remain an issue.

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DPU fokus pada tiga Proyek air Bersih. (DPU focus on 3 clean water projects)

Source: Investor Daily





Menteri PU Djoko Kirmanto mengatakan, pihaknya hanya menawarkan 3 proyek air bersih kepada calon investor, yaitu kotaTangerang, kabupaten tangerang dan kota solo, proyek ini senilai US$ 80 juta.Beliau menjelaskan, pemerintah menawarkan investasi sektor air minum di 24 kota/distrik dengan kapasitas total mencapai 18.015 liter/detik, termasuk diantaranya proyek pengelolaan air minum diwilayah Bekasi,tangerang, Yogyakarta, Semarang, surabaya, Dumai, samarinda dan Manado. Pemerintah membutuhkan total Investasi Sebesar Rp 45 Triliun, mendekati US$ 5 miliar, jumlah itu diharapkan didapat dari investasi swasta.

English Translation

Minister PU Djoko Kirmanto said, his team only offered 3 clean water projects to the investor's candidate, that is kotaTangerang, the Tangerang regency and the solo city, this project with a value of US$ 80 million. He explained, the government offered investment of the sector of the drinking water in 24 cities/the district with the total capacity reached 18,015 litre/the second, including among them the project of the drinking water management diwilayah Bekasi, Tangerang, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Dumai, Samarinda and Manado. The government needed the total Investment of Rp 45 trillion, approaching US$ 5 billion, the number was it was hoped received from private enterprise's investment.

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PDAM Kota Sukabumi Dililit Utang Rp 29 M (PDAM Kota Sukabumi City suffers Rp 29 billion debt)

Source: Pikiran Rakyat

Ribuan Pelanggannya Nunggak Rp 5 Miliar

SUKABUMI, (PR).-
Sedikitnya 8.000 konsumen Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum (PDAM) Kota Sukabumi menunggak pembayaran rekening air bersih, dengan jumlah tunggakan mencapai Rp 5 miliar lebih. Sebaliknya, PDAM Kota Sukabumi juga masih memiliki beban utang sebesar Rp 29 miliar kepada Pemerintah Belanda, termasuk didalamnya tunggakan bunga, serta cicilan kepada pemerintah pusat.

Dirut PDAM Kota Sukabumi, H. Sulaeman Muchtar, S.H, S.Sos., M.M., yang dihubungi "PR" di ruang kerjanya menjelaskan mengenai utang piutang PDAM yang jumlahnya cukup besar itu. Untuk tunggakan pelanggan, mulai diupayakan melalui efektifitas penagihan dengan cara membentuk sebuah tim yang bertugas memberitahukan, mengingatkan sampai merekomendasikan menutup pasokan air bersih terhadap pelanggan yang membandel.

English Translation

Thousands of his customers Nunggak Rp 5 Miliar

Sukabumi, (PR).- At Least 8,000 consumers of the Company of the Area of the Drinking Water (PDAM) the Sukabumi City menunggak clean payment of the account of water, with the number of arrears reached Rp 5 billion more. On the other hand, PDAM the Sukabumi City also was still having the burden of the debt of Rp 29 billion to the Dutch Government, including inside flower arrears, as well as the instalment to the government of the centre.

The managing director PDAM the Sukabumi City, H. Sulaeman Muchtar, S. H, S. Sos., M. M., that was contacted by "PR" in his office explained concerning the PDAM debt debt that the amount quite big that. For the customer's arrears, from was striven for through efektifitas penagihan by means of forming a team that was assigned informed, warned to recommended closed clean water supplies against the recalcitrant customer.

"Tunggakan pada pelanggan jumlahnya bervariasi, dari mulai pelanggan rumah tangga sampai tempat-tempat ibadah dan semuanya akan didatangi oleh tim yang telah ditugaskan. Lama tunggakan juga bervariasi, mulai tiga bulan sampai 80 bulan. Kami optimis akan berhasil, karena dengan cara seperti ini PDAM bisa berjalan dengan baik," jelas Sulaeman Muchtar.

Mekansime penagihan yang dilaksanakan oleh tim yang telah dibentuk, dimulai dengan pemberitahuan secara umum. Kemudian pemberitahuan khusus terhadap para penunggak dengan menggunakan sistem wilayah. Selanjutnya peringatan bagi pelanggan yang membandel sampai akhrinya terpaksa harus ditutup, jika pelanggan tetap tidak berniat baik untuk melunasi tunggakannya.

Sedangkan yang berkaitan dengan masalah utang PDAM Kota Sukabumi, sebagaimana dijelaskan oleh Sulaeman Muchtar, bahwa tunggakan tersebut berawal dari tawaran bantuan Pemerintah Belanda melalui salah satu institusi penanganan air bersih di negara tersebut. Tawaran dalam bentuk peralatan, tenaga teknis, konsultan sampai loan itu dilaksanakan sekitar tahun 1987/1988. Pemkot Sukabumi yang tengah membutuhkan penanganan PDAM saat itu menerima tawaran tersebut dengan nilai secara keseluruhan mencapai Rp 10,4 miliar. Jumlah tersebut masih ditambah dengan pinjaman dari pemerintah pusat selang beberapa tahun kemudian dengan nilai hampir Rp 6 miliar. Selama kurun waktu belasan tahun ini terjadi pembengkakan bunga serta bunga administrasi bank yang akhirnya muncul angka sebesar Rp 29 miliar.

Minta restrukturisasi

"Terus terang kami belum sanggup melunasi semua utang tersebut, apalagi selama ini PDAM selalu merugi, kecuali pada tahun 2004 lalu memiliki keuntungan sebesar Rp 180 juta. Oleh sebab itu, Wali Kota Sukabumi telah melayangkan surat kepada Pemerintah Belanda dan pemerintah pusat agar utang tersebut dihapuskan, direstrukturisasi atau dijadikan penyertaan modal terhadap PDAM. Sayangnya sampai saat ini belum ada jawaban yang pasti," kata Sulaeman Muchtar.

Lepas dari masalah utang piutang, PDAM Kota Sukabumi yang sampai saat ini masih ambivalen, yaitu berfungsi sebagai lembaga bisnis pemerintah daerah karena statusnya sebagai perusahaan daerah, serta memiliki fungsi sosial, optimis dimasa yang akan datang akan berkembang.

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Clean Water Rafting

Source: The Jakarta Post



A woman eases the strain of bringing clean water to her home by using a homemade raft. Such rafts are must-have items for the residents of Citepus village in south Bandung, which is regularly hit by flooding. JP/Yuli Tri Suwarni

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Acehnese yearn for water after tsunami catastrophe

Source: The Jakarta Post



Fadli, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh

It has been over 40 days now that Hasri has been getting water from a little-used well behind his house after the tap water dried up in the wake of the huge earthquake and tsunami that hit Banda Aceh on Dec. 26.

"When the tsunami struck, the tap water stopped. We don't know when the tap water will come back on," said Hasri, who lives in Lamlagang district in Banda Aceh, which largely escaped the tsunami's swath of devastation as it is located on relatively high ground.

He said the tap water from Tirta Daroy water company was used for most water needs, including drinking and cooking. Water from the well, however, can only be safely used for bathing and doing the laundry, while for drinking purposes, he had to buy bottled water.

"With no tap water, we're in trouble. We spend a lot of money on mineral water to drink," said the 36-year-old as he drew water from the well in a traditional way, with a bucket and rope.

Another Acehnese man, Arif, waits in long lines every couple of days to get 12 liters of free water, which is donated and distributed by Australian military personnel in the Simpang Lima area.

The 25-year-old driver of a becak mesin (motorized pedicab) said the water was used for drinking.

"For bathing, we use water from a well, but the water I get from the Australian military is used for drinking. I usually stand in line about one hour," Arif said, adding that when he was too tired to wait in line, he would drink water from the well.

People's dependence on the water company is high as the local company has been the only one in the area since 1980.

After the massive earthquake rocked the region, water distribution from Tirta Daroy stopped, leaving only a few neighborhoods with access to clean water.

Head of the technical division of Tirta Daroy, Mukhlis, said the company suffered Rp 10 billion (US$1.1 million) in losses in the disaster. The greatest amount of damage occurred on many of water distribution pipes as well as the operational building in Lampineng.

The broken distribution pipes disrupted water service to the customers' houses, he explained.

Before the disaster struck, the company distributed clean water to 25,000 houses, with water capacity of 450 liters per second. Now, only 25 percent of those homes can get water, or about 8,000 customers.

"Two units of our clean water processing facility were not damaged in the disaster. But the clean water distribution is disrupted because of the broken pipes," Mukhlis said.

He said the undamaged pipes were located in Ulee Kareng, Lueng Bata, and parts of Lamtemen and Lamlagang, while almost all the distribution pipes in Banda Aceh were damaged to some degree.

"Our worst hit customers were those in the tsunami-struck areas, but there are also those that weren't affected by the tsunami, but they cannot get water because of the damaged pipes," Muklis said.

To provide clean water, there were two clean water units donated by U.S. company General Electric (GE) with a processing capacity of 40 liters per second in Lambaro, Aceh Besar. Another unit was provided by the Bandung Institute of Technology and Siliwangi Military Command, with a capacity of one liter per second.

"But the donated units are not connected to the distribution pipes. Water from those units are only distributed to displaced persons shelters and for other needy families," Mukhlis said.

He said he did not know when the company could start operating on a normal basis. Many of the company's employees were also killed or seriously injured in the disaster, with 28 of its 172 employees confirmed dead.

Before they could start repairing the distribution pipes, he said the company had to wait for the government's policy instructions before any decisions could be made.

"I hope they (the distribution pipes) can be fixed soon because it will also mean the surviving employees can get back to work."

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Sumur Warga Hative Kecil Tercemar Minyak (Citizen's Well Polluted With Oil)

Source: Kompas

Ambon, Sumur milik warga Hative Kecil, Kecamatan Sirimau, Ambon, yang terletak dekat Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Diesel Hative Kecil tercemar minyak. Meskipun sumur dicuci dan dikuras beberapa kali, air sumur tetap berwarna hitam dan berminyak. Warga pun mulai terjangkiti penyakit kulit dan pusing setelah mengonsumsi air yang tercemar minyak tersebut.

Menurut Vonny Sapulete yang sumurnya terletak di seberang jalan depan PLTD Hative Kecil, Selasa (8/2), sumur tercemar minyak sejak Oktober 2004. Semula ia menduga minyak yang dikandung dalam sumur tersebut terjadi akibat ulah seseorang yang sengaja menuangkan minyak solar ke dalam sumur. Namun karena terjadi hampir tiap hari, Vonny menduga pencemaran sumur miliknya tidak mungkin dilakukan oleh seseorang, tapi akibat limbah dari PLTD Hative Kecil. "Tiap hari kami mencuci sumur itu, tapi esoknya selalu berminyak lagi," katanya.

English Translation

Ambon, the Well of property of the citizen Hative Small, the Sirimau Subdistrict, Ambon, that was located close to the Generator of Electricity of the Diesel Power Hative Small most polluted oil. Although the well was washed and drained several times, well water stayed coloured black and oily. The citizen then began to be infected by the skin illness and the headache after mengonsumsi polluted water this oil.

According to Vonny Sapulete that his well was located across the front road of Small PLTD Hative, on Tuesday (8/2), the most polluted well oil since October 2004. Originally he suspected oil that was contained in this well of happening resulting from the conduct someone that deliberate presented diesel fuel oil into the well. However because of happening almost daily, Vonny suspected his pollution of the property well of being not possible to be done by someone, but resulting from the waste from Small PLTD Hative. "Daily we washed the well, but tomorrow him always was again oily," he said.

Sumur lain yang tercemar minyak adalah milik keluarga Dober Bremer tepat di samping kanan PLTD Hative Kecil. Semula Bremer tidak mengetahui sumurnya tercemar karena sumur tertutup dan airnya diambil menggunakan pompa air.

Setahun terakhir setelah menggunakan air sumur tersebut, keluarga Bremer mengalami pusing, mual, dan gatal-gatal. Pada kulit salah seorang anak keluarga Bremer pun mulai muncul bercak-bercak putih. Karena itu, Sabtu (5/2), ia berniat membersihkan sumur karena diduga airnya kotor. Ternyata, air sumur tersebut mengandung minyak.

"Sejak Sabtu hingga Selasa hari ini, kami sudah menguras sumur lima kali. Tetapi, minyak terus keluar," kata Bremer.

Dari pemantauan Kompas, air kedua sumur yang di- gunakan oleh beberapa keluarga tersebut berwarna hitam, lengket, dan tercium bau minyak yang sangat tajam. Batu-batuan yang diambil dari dasar sumur pun telah berwarna hitam dari sisa minyak yang mengendap.

Anehnya, hanya dua sumur milik warga di sekitar PLTD Hative Kecil yang tercemar limbah minyak, yaitu yang berada di depan kanan dan samping kanan. Sumur warga di samping kiri, depan kiri, dan belakang PLTD Hative Kecil tidak tercemar oleh limbah minyak. Sumur milik PLTD di dalam lokasi pembangkit juga tidak tercemar minyak.

Kepala PLTD Hative Kecil Sein Latuperissa juga tidak mengetahui asal minyak yang mencemari sumur warga tersebut. Menurut dia, pengelolaan limbah PLTD berupa minyak solar dan oli tertangani dengan baik. Limbah minyak solar dan oli dikumpulkan dalam wadah tertentu dan diambil masyarakat untuk berbagai keperluan.

Meskipun demikian, Latuperissa enggan menyebutkan jumlah solar untuk operasional dan limbah yang dihasilkan PLTD tersebut setiap hari. Latuperissa juga membantah ada saluran minyak solar milik PLTD Hative Kecil yang bocor karena semua saluran berada di atas tanah dan dalam keadaan utuh.

Sementara itu, Ketua RT setempat Simon Ruhukay mengatakan, pada awal pendirian PLTD Hative Kecil tahun 1979, limbah PLTD dibuang ke sungai dan laut secara sembarangan. Akibatnya, sungai dan laut selalu berwarna hitam pekat. Karena mendapat protes dari warga, saat itu pembuangan limbah ke sungai dan laut pun dihentikan.

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Warga Konsumsi Air Keruh Tercemar (Citizens Consume Polluted Turbid Water)

Source: Kompas

Danau Panggang, Hingga kini warga pedalaman rawa-rawa Danau Panggang, Kabupaten Hulu Sungai Utara, Kalimantan Selatan masih mengonsumsi air rawa-rawa berwarna hitam keruh. Selain terkontaminasi dengan limbah rumah tangga penduduk, air keruh itu juga terkontaminasi kotoran yang dihasilkan kerbau peliharaan yang populasinya melebihi jumlah penduduk.

Pengamatan Kompas selama selama tiga hari hingga Kamis (10/2) tinggal di pedalaman rawa-rawa tersebut dan menyaksikan kehidupan warga pedalaman yang terpaksa mengonsumsi air "hitam" keruh itu. Berbeda dengan air hitam yang di kawasan hutan gambut, air hitam rawa-rawa lebih keruh dan terkontaminasi berbagai limbah karena lokasinya berada di dataran rendah.

English Translation

Danau Panggang, Up To Now the Danau Panggang citizen of the swamp countryside, the North Regency of the River Upstream, South Kalimantan still mengonsumsi swamp water was black turbid. Apart from being contaminated with the waste of the inhabitants's household, turbid water same was contaminated by the waste that was produced by the kept water buffalo that his population exceeded the number of inhabitants.

Observation of Kompas during for three days till Thursday (10/2) lived in this swamp countryside and witnessed the life of the citizen of the countryside that be forced mengonsumsi "black" water turbid that. Was different to black water that in the region of the peat forest, black water the swamp more turbid and was contaminated by various wastes because of his location was in the plain.

“Kami sudah mengajukan permintaan ke pemerintah daerah agar kami diberi fasilitas air bersih, tetapi sampai sekarang belum dikabulkan," kata Sahni, Pembakal (sebutan Kepala Desa di Kalsel-Red) Desa Sapala, Kecamatan Danau Panggang.

Dari tahun ke tahun, air rawa-rawa itu semakin kotor, baik pada musim kemarau maupun penghujan. Di musim kemarau warga memanfaatkan air yang tercemar kubangan kerbau dan pada musim hujan air yang mereka konsumsi tak terhindarkan lagi tercemar kotoran ribuan kerbau peliharaan mereka.

“Sebenarnya kami sangat terbebani dengan kondisi seperti ini, banyak tamu kami yang menolak minum air atau makanan yang kami suguhkan karena masalah air ini," kata Sahni.

Kenyataannya juga banyak warga setempat yang sakit, terutama diare, karena air tersebut. Anak-anak juga menjadi langganan sakit gatal serta berbagai penyakit kulit lainnya.

Kepala Sekolah SMP 3 Danau Panggang Marjuni yang tinggal di Desa Sapala menuturkan, warga luar yang masuk dan tinggal di Danau Panggang pasti akan mengalami nasib serupa yaitu terkena penyakit kulit.

“Kami guru-guru yang bertugas di sini sudah mengalami penyakit gatal-gatal ini," kata Marjuni. Air hitam yang bercampur dengan berbagai limbah rumah tangga dan kotoran ternak tersebut tidak hanya menyerang manusia saja.

“Ternak itik yang dibeli dari daerah luar kalau diturunkan ke air hitam itu kakinya langsung lumpuh, ikan-ikan juga tidak ada yang bisa tahan dengan air hitam ini kecuali ikan tauman (sejenis ikan gabus-Red)," kata Sahni.

Petugas kesehatan yang ada di daerah tersebut juga tidak tahan dengan kondisi air hitam tersebut. Hampir semua warga bisa menyebutkan para dokter yang bertugas di desanya yang terpaksa mandi dengan air minum dalam kemasan.

“Dokter-dokter dari pulau lain pasti tidak tahan tinggal di sini, karena itu kami benar-benar terpukul dua kali," kata Sahni yang berharap pemerintah bisa memberikan solusi pengadaan air bersih.

Marjuni berharap ada teknologi tepat guna yang bisa menetralisir air hitam rawa-rawa. Kalau desa diwajibkan mengambil air bersih dari Kecamatan Danau Panggang dan mengangkutnya ke desa masing-masing, maka warga akan terbebani biaya tinggi.

Terancam kelaparan

Persoalan lain yang mendera daerah rawa-rawa itu adalah hadirnya keong emas sebagai hama rumput yang membuat ribuan kerbau rawa-rawa di pedalaman Kecamatan Danau Panggang terancam kelaparan. Di daerah yang jumlah kerbaunya lebih banyak dibanding penduduknya itu kini sedang mengalami krisis makanan.

Akibat kesulitan rumput banyak kerbau yang kekurangan gizi dan berakibat pada kematian kerbau. “Dalam tahun 2004 saja tercatat sudah 882 kerbau yang sakit," kata Sahni.

Dari jumlah 882 ekor kerbau yang sakit tersebut tercatat sudah 259 ekor mati, 468 ekor sempat disembelih dan dijual, dan sebanyak 155 ekor hingga kini masih sakit. Total populasi kerbau hanya di Desa Sapala tercatat 1.818 ekor, lebih banyak dibanding jumlah penduduknya yang 1.374 jiwa.

Kondisi serupa juga melanda tujuh desa peternak kerbau rawa yang ada di Kecamatan Danau Panggang. “Sampai sekarang masih banyak kerbau yang sakit, kami sempat berkirim surat ke pemerintah tapi jawabannya hanya kekurangan gizi, tidak ada usaha mencari jalan keluarnya," kata Sahni.

Warga berharap pemerintah merespon kesulitan para peternak di daerah rawa-rawa tersebut. “Kami mengusulkan agar di daerah kami ini dibuatkan Pos Hewan yang ada dokter hewannya, jadi kalau ada kerbau kami yang sakit bisa ada yang diminta mengobatinya," kata Sahni.

Danau Panggang selama ini dikenal sebagai daerah rawa-rawa penghasil kerbau rawa-rawa terbesar di Kalsel. Selain itu, kerbau rawa-rawa selama ini juga sudah menjadi salah satu ikon pariwisata Kalsel dengan atraksinya balap kerbau rawa.

Warga berharap tidak sekadar menjadikan kerbau rawa sebagai aset wisata, namun juga harus diikuti tindak nyata untuk membantu menyelamatkan masa depan kerbau rawa. Saat musim kemarau rumput di rawa-rawa banyak yang mati dan musim hujan serangan keong emas merajalela.

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UU SDA Perjelas Posisi Pengelola Air Minum (UU SDA clarified the Position of the Drinking Water Manager)

Source: Kompas



Jakarta, Undang-Undang Nomor 7 Tahun 2004 tentang Sumber Daya Air, yang kini sedang diuji materiil di Mahkamah Konstitusi, secara substansi dinilai dapat memperjelas posisi pengelola air minum. Dari sana, hak dan kewajiban pihak swasta terhadap konsumen dapat diperjelas.

Hingga kini, tidak ada undang-undang (UU) yang mengatur pengelolaan air minum sehingga keberadaan UU Sumber Daya Air (SDA) menjadi penting disahkan dalam kerangka pengelolaan air minum.

Demikian diungkapkan salah satu ahli bidang air minum dari pemerintah, Priyono Salim, dalam sidang uji materiil ke-8 UU SDA Mahkamah Konstitusi di Jakarta, Selasa (8/2). Selain Priyono, ahli yang diajukan pemerintah adalah Ir M Napitupulu Dipl HE, Dr Ir Robert Kodoatie M Eng, dan Dr Effendi Pasandaran.

English Translation

Jakarta, number regulations 7 2004 about Water resources, that currently are tested material in the Constitution Court, in a manner the substance could it was thought clarify the position of the drinking water manager. From there, the right and the obligation of private enterprise's team could be against the consumer clarified.

Up to now, there were no regulations (UU) that arranged the drinking water management so as the existence UU Water resources (SDA) became important was ratified in the framework of the drinking water management.

Was like this it was said one of the experts of the drinking water field from the government, Priyono Salim, in the material session of the test of the 8 UU SDA of the Constitution Court in Jakarta, Tuesday (8/2). Apart from Priyono, the expert who was put forward by the government was Ir M Napitupulu Dipl HE, Dr Ir Robert Kodoatie M. Eng, and Dr Effendi Pasandaran.

"Pada waktunya nanti, air akan semakin sulit diperoleh sehingga harus ada ketentuan untuk mengaturnya," kata Priyono. Dia menambahkan, air minum saat ini tidak lagi sebatas memiliki fungsi kesehatan, tetapi juga fungsi ekonomi sehingga pengelolaannya pun semestinya diarahkan pada fungsi tersebut.

Akan tetapi, seusai sidang yang berlangsung sekitar empat jam tersebut, Priyono enggan menyebutkan bahwa UU No 7/2004 itu merupakan awal dari swastanisasi air, seperti yang selama ini dikhawatirkan banyak pihak. "Soal jaminan usaha, pihak swasta sendiri yang akan menilainya," kata dia.

Robert menguraikan, UU SDA telah seimbang mengatur konservasi, hak guna, dan perlindungan sosial. Bahkan, keberpihakan isi UU terhadap konservasi lebih besar dibandingkan dengan sisi ekonomi.

"Menurut saya, UU ini sudah lengkap tetapi memang belum sempurna. Karena itu perlu peraturan pemerintah, keputusan presiden, dan keputusan menteri," ujarnya. Peraturan pemerintah, keppres, dan kepmen itulah yang nantinya diharapkan dapat menjadi rambu-rambu bagi pengelola air, baik oleh pemerintah maupun swasta.

Masyarakat kecil

Kepada wartawan, di sela persidangan, Menteri Pekerjaan Umum Djoko Kirmanto berjanji akan mengutamakan masyarakat kecil dalam pelaksanaan UU No 7/2004. Namun, ia meminta agar masyarakat tidak membandingkan isi UU dengan realisasi di lapangan saat ini.

"Justru untuk memperbaiki kekurangan itulah maka undang-undang ini disusun," kata Djoko.

Mengenai kekhawatiran swastanisasi air, ia mengatakan, pemerintah tidak akan berbuat lain sebelum kebutuhan dasar masyarakat terpenuhi.

Sementara itu, kepada hakim konstitusi, Robert mengatakan bahwa satu-satunya jalan menghindarkan masyarakat dari bahaya swastanisasi air adalah memperketat perizinan.

"Kalau nanti lebih dominan aspek ekonominya daripada aspek sosialnya, masalah sebenarnya bukan pada UU-nya, tetapi implementasinya," kata dia.

Persoalan itulah yang justru disoroti para pemohon uji materiil, yakni tidak ada jaminan bahwa swastanisasi air tidak akan terjadi. Kekhawatiran itu diperkuat dengan adanya dokumen Bank Dunia, yang disebut Munarman-salah satu pemohon-telah mengucurkan dana 300 juta dollar AS untuk membiayai penyusunan UU SDA demi masuknya swasta dalam industri pengelolaan air minum di Indonesia.

Pernyataan itu langsung dibantah oleh Dirjen Sumber Daya Air Departemen Pekerjaan Umum Basuki. "Tudingan itu tidak benar. Dana itu untuk financial gap di APBN yang menjadi kewenangan Departemen Keuangan," kata dia.

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Water commands a price

Source: The Jakarta Post



Editorial

The public furor over the 8.14 percent increase in tap water rates charged by PAM Jaya could scare off investors intending to submit bids for 91 infrastructure projects over the next few months following the Jan. 17 and Jan. 18 Infrastructure Summit in Jakarta.

Demands by several narrow-minded Jakarta legislative councilors to repeal the rate increase send the wrong signal, giving potential investors a glimpse of the complexity of the legal, social and political issues they may encounter here.

The current City Council will not do the people, or the local economy, any good if legislators move to cancel a decision that was made through the normal political process. This lack of legal certainty will simply frighten away investors considering doing business here.

The rate increase, effective as of Jan. 20, was based on a joint decision by the Jakarta government and the previous City Council in July 2004, which gave PAM Jaya the power to adjust its rates in response to inflation and other factors every semester between 2005 and 2007.

The rate mechanisms were adopted with a great degree of transparency and accountability after thorough deliberation and discussion by the government and the legislative council.

Anything that is both scarce and in demand commands a price. That is simple economics, even when talking about public goods and basic needs. Water is scarce, so water rates have increasingly been used as an acceptable instrument of public policy to expand supply, improve service and, at the same time, encourage more responsible use of the commodity.

An adequate pricing policy is even more crucial for investments in infrastructure projects and public utilities, which are long term in scope and vulnerable to inflation, especially in developing countries like Indonesia.

An efficient and effective water pricing system provides incentives for efficient water use and for water quality protection, and generates funds for necessary infrastructure development and expansion.

This is the principle the July 2004 decision tried to establish for the water company, to enable it to sustain viable operations and improve and expand services at affordable prices.

True, the quality of PAM Jaya's service is still far below what most customers expect, but this is the very reason the company should be allowed to adjust its rates periodically, to keep up with inflation and to encourage it to make new investments.

The water company, which is owned by the Jakarta administration, is not only profit-oriented but also encourages the efficient use of water through "volumetric" charging, not fixed charges. This means that the more you use, the more you pay because the charges increase with each additional cubic meter of water used. This is contrary to other commodities, which usually charge less for high-volume purchases.

Concern about the affordability of household water services for vulnerable groups, such as low-income households and retired people, has led to the development of a range of policy measures aimed at resolving affordability problems while still meeting economic goals.

PAM Jaya, for example, charges only Rp 550 per cubic meter for low-volume (poor) users and Rp 9,750 for well-off (high-volume) consumers. A similar pricing mechanism and an automatic price adjustment formula are also applied for electricity users.

If the city administration thinks water rates are still too high for many poor consumers, it should not address the problem through across-the-board policies but rather with well-targeted subsidy mechanisms.

Taxpayers in Jakarta will foot the bill if PAM Jaya suffers losses due to tight price controls that do not allow the company to get a reasonable profit margin. The water company will not be able to expand its network to serve more consumers if it cannot make a reasonable income for new investments.

Water charges have increased in recent years because water quality has often gotten worse as a result of overconsumption, especially in heavily populated cities like Jakarta where polluted groundwater necessitates more sophisticated and more expensive treatments, with a consequent need to develop more expensive demand-management or supply-based regimes.

We support the determination of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, who said last week he would push ahead with the implementation of the July 2004 decision on water rates.

The city government and PAM Jaya, however, need to brief the City Council and inform the public about the rationale for the automatic price adjustments and the factors to which these periodical adjustments are tied.

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Temuan BPKP soal Pengelolaan Air Harus Diusut (BPKP findings on Water Management must be investigated)

Source: Media Indonesia

Media Indonesia - 03 Februari 2005

JAKARTA (Media): Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen Indonesia (YLKI) meminta kejaksaan mengusut temuan Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan dan Pembangunan (BPKP) tentang perbedaan nilai utang luar negeri melalui Departemen Keuangan (Depkeu) antara Pemprov DKI dan mitranya, PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) serta PT Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ).

English Translation

Jakarta (Media): the Indonesian Foundation of the Consumer's Agency (YLKI) asked the attorney general's office to investigate the findings and the Development of the Body of the financial Inspector (BPKP) about the difference of the value of foreign debt went through the Department of Finance (Depkeu) between Pemprov Special Capital District and his partner, PT Pam Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) as well as PT the Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ).

"Apakah Pemprov DKI Jakarta mau dibebankan utang Rp900 miliar lebih, padahal pengelolaan air di Jakarta sudah ditangani Palyja dan TPJ sepenuhnya sejak dilakukan kerja sama dengan PDAM Jaya lima tahun silam," ungkap Ketua YLKI Indah Suksmaningsih kepada Media di Jakarta, tadi malam.

Dia mengatakan hal itu menanggapi Badan Regulator Pelayanan Air Minum DKI Jakarta berkaitan dengan kenaikan tarif air PDAM rata-rata 8,14% atau Rp4.965 per meter kubik sejak 20 Januari lalu (Media, 2/2).

Sebelumnya, Ketua Badan Regulator Pelayanan Air Minum DKI Jakarta Achmad Lanti mengatakan kenaikan tarif air itu untuk menutupi defisit Rp900 miliar lebih dan menutupi peningkatan biaya operasional Palyja dan TPJ. Defisit yang dimaksud Achmad Lanti adalah utang lama PDAM Jaya sebelum bekerja sama dengan Palyja dan TPJ.

Tapi, menurut Indah, secara logika utang itu menjadi tanggung jawab kedua perusahaan asing tersebut setelah adanya kerja sama dan diserahkannya pengoperasian aset, pengelolaan air minum, serta manajemen dari PDAM Jaya ke Palyja dan TPJ.

"Sekarang kita tanya apakah pemprov mau menerima utang itu ditanggung sendiri, padahal semua aset dan manajemen serta operasional PDAM Jaya telah diserahkan sepenuhnya kepada kedua perusahaan asing tersebut sejak lima tahun silam," tuturnya.

Indah mengingatkan Pemprov DKI Jakarta harusnya menindaklanjuti temuan BPKP pada tahun 2001 tentang perbedaan utang Pemprov DKI dan mitranya yaitu Palyja dan TPJ agar kejaksaan mengusutnya. "Apakah benar defisit itu harus ditanggung PDAM Jaya?" ujar Indah.

Menurut dia, setelah PDAM Jaya kerja sama dengan kedua perusahaan asing itu, tidak punya nilai tambah. Buktinya, utang PDAM Jaya sampai sekarang belum lunas dan ini dianggap menjadi tanggung jawab BUMD itu.

Sementara persentase kebocoran air PAM tetap tinggi yakni tidak jauh dari 56% sebelum adanya kerja sama PDAM Jaya dengan Palyja dan TPJ. Karena itu, lanjut Indah, YLKI meminta pelanggan Palyja dan TPJ menolak kenaikan tarif. "Kenaikan tarif, bukan satu-satunya cara untuk meningkatkan pendapatan Palyja dan TPJ. Cukup besar potensi kebocoran air yang terbuang sia-sia. Hanya karena perusahaan asing itu tidak profesional, lalu tarif dinaikkan untuk menutupi kelemahannya."

Gubernur DKI Jakarta dan DPRD DKI Jakarta, tambah Indah, harusnya kritis terhadap cara-cara Palyja dan TPJ yang minta naik tarif setiap tahun dengan alasan biaya operasional meningkat tanpa dibarengi pelayanan yang lebih baik.

Sementara itu, Mansyur Syaerozi, anggota Komisi C DPRD DKI menyatakan Dewan akan menginterpelasi Gubernur Sutiyoso karena menaikkan tarif air secara sepihak tanpa persetujuan DPRD. "Kalaupun pernah ada persetujuan DPRD tentang kenaikan tarif air secara otomatis berkala, Gubernur wajib konsultasikan besaran kenaikan kepada Dewan sebagai wakil rakyat," tandasnya.

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Warga dan DPRD Protes Keras Kenaikan Tarif Air (Citizens and DPRD Strongly Protest Rise in Water tariff)

Source: Kompas

Kompas - 03 Februari 2005

Jakarta, Kompas - Kalangan Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah DKI Jakarta dan warga pelanggan memprotes keras kenaikan tarif air bersih rata-rata sebesar 8,14 persen. Kenaikan tarif dinilai tidak wajar dalam kondisi pelayanan air yang masih sangat buruk. Selain berbau, berwarna coklat terkadang abu-abu dan hitam, air bersih yang diharapkan pelanggan lebih banyak tidak mengalir pada pagi hingga sore hari.

English Translation

Jakarta, the Compass - the Special Capital District of Jakarta Circle and the citizen of the customer of the Council of Delegation of the regional People protested hard the clean rise in the water tariff in general as big as 8.14 percent. The rise in the tariff was assessed really in the condition for the water service that still was very bad. Apart from smelling, was brown occasionally grey and black, clean water that was hoped for by the customer did not more often flow in the morning till the afternoon.

Sementara itu, Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah (DPRD) DKI periode 2004-2009 juga akan menganulir Persetujuan DPRD DKI Jakarta periode 1999-2004 mengenai implementasi penyesuaian tarif otomatis. Alasannya, persetujuan itu dinilai menyengsarakan rakyat dan lebih memihak kepada pengusaha.

"Kami menyayangkan persetujuan dari anggota DPRD periode sebelumnya. Mereka membuat keputusan di saat terakhir bertugas sebagai wakil rakyat," kata Nurmasyah Lubis, Sekretaris Komisi B DPRD DKI Jakarta, Rabu (2/2).

Menurut dia, tak layak seorang seorang pejabat yang masa jabatan sudah hampir berakhir mengeluarkan keputusan strategis yang tidak etis seperti itu dan merugikan masyarakat banyak. "Makanya, keputusan itu harus dibatalkan dan perlu dikaji lagi," ujar Lubis.

Sementara itu, Wakil Ketua DPRD DKI Jakarta Maringan Pangaribuan mengatakan, sejauh ini, pihaknya tak mengetahui bagaimana dan seperti apa rekomendasi yang dibuat pimpinan DPRD DKI periode sebelumnya.

"Kami juga tak pernah diajak berbicara mengenai kenaikan tarif air itu. Kalau anggota Dewan mengusulkan agar persetujuan itu dibatalkan dan dikaji lagi, ya sah-sah saja. Nanti kami rapatkan," ujar Maringan.

Gubernur DKI Jakarta Sutiyoso mengatakan, kenaikan tarif itu akan diimbangi dengan kebijakan subsidi silang. Menurut Sutiyoso, kalau kenaikan tarif tidak dilakukan saat ini, enam bulan ke depan dikhawatirkan kenaikan menjadi berlipat ganda. Apalagi mengingat rencana menaikkan tarif air sudah tertunda beberapa kali.

"Kami akan berusaha mengimbanginya dengan peningkatan kualitas pelayanan dan subsidi silang. Artinya, warga miskin tak akan terkena dampaknya," katanya.

Gubernur mengatakan, proses menaikkan tarif PAM memang rumit sehingga pihaknya membentuk Badan Regulator. Lembaga itu bertugas mengkaji dan menentukan berapa besar tarif yang harus dinaikkan. "Prinsipnya harus ada kenaikan berkala sehingga PDAM Jaya itu kita pantau terus dengan membuat perjanjian. Jadi tidak bisa sembarangan karena kita sudah dibebani utang yang besar dari Bank Dunia," papar Sutiyoso.

Warga keberatan

Ny Christina Purba, warga Cengkareng Timur, mengatakan, tidak sepantasnya PAM Jaya menaikkan tarif air dalam kondisi pelayanan yang sangat buruk seperti sekarang ini.

"Bayangkan saja, airnya berwarna hitam. Belum lagi berbau. Kalau siang, air tidak ngocor. Baru mengalir pada malam hari," ungkap Ny Purba menjelaskan.

Ia mengatakan, karena air PAM tak bisa dipakai mandi, apalagi untuk memasak dan minum, terpaksa setiap dua hari ia harus menyediakan tiga galon air mineral untuk minum sehari-hari. Sementara untuk mandi, mencuci, dan memasak, ia harus menyediakan air isi ulang.

Pengakuan yang sama juga dikatakan Yanis, karyawan di Rawa Belong, Jakarta Barat. Ia harus mengeluarkan anggaran Rp 150.00 sampai Rp 300.000 untuk membeli air minum kemasan dalam galon serta air isi ulang untuk kebutuhan sehari-hari sebagai anak kos.

Seperti diberitakan, tarif air bersih yang dikelola PDAM Jaya naik sebesar 8,14 persen terhitung mulai 20 Januari 2005 lalu. Keputusan itu menyusul keluarnya Surat Keputusan Gubernur DKI Jakarta Nomor 138 Tahun 2005 tentang Penyesuaian Tarif Otomatis yang diterbitkan tanggal itu juga.

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Lemah, Koordinasi Damkar dengan PDAM (Weak, Damkar Co-ordination with PDAM)

Source: Pikiran Rakyat




Lambatnya Penanggulangan Kebakaran

CIANJUR, (PR).-
Selain kondisi peralatan yang buruk, lemahnya koordinasi antara unit pemadam kebakaran (Damkar) dengan Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum (PDAM) dalam soal penggunaan hydrant air, menjadi salah satu penyebab lambatnya penanggulangan kebakaran di Cianjur.

English Translation

The Kebakaran slowness of the Control

Cianjur, (PR).-
apart from the condition for bad equipment, the weakness of the co-ordination between the unit of the fire extinguisher (Damkar) and the Company of the Area of the Drinking Water (PDAM) in the matter of the use hydrant water, became one of the causes of the slowness of the control of fire in Cianjur.

Hal ini terlihat dalam beberapa peristiwa kebakaran seperti yang terjadi di sebuah toko kelontong di Jln. Mangunsarkoro, belum lama ini. Saat itu petugas pemadam kebakaran kesulitan memperoleh sumber air, ironisnya jarak antara toko yang terbakar dengan hydrant air milik PDAM hanya berjarak belasan meter.

Tapi hydrant tersebut tidak dapat dipergunakan karena dalam keadaan terkunci, dan kuncinya sendiri dipegang oleh petugas PDAM.

"Kami tidak bisa menggunakan hydrant milik PDAM itu karena kuncinya dipegang oleh petugas mereka, ini membuat petugas kami kesulitan untuk mencari sumber air untuk memadamkan api", ujar Kepala Dinas Ciptakarya Drs. Burdah Atori yang ditemui di lokasi kebakaran, pekan lalu.

Tak pernah di hubungi

Sementara itu Budi Karyawan, S.H., M.M., Kabag Distribusi PDAM Kab. Cianjur, membenarkan kalau pihaknya yang memegang kunci. Namun pihaknya tidak pernah dihubungi kalau terjadi kebakaran. Padahal ada layanan hotline selama 24 jam di pesawat telefon 270600 yang siap melayani masyarakat umum yang memerlukan hydrant.

"Memang hydrant itu kami sediakan untuk pelayanan umum yang sifatnya emergency dan kami telah membuka layanan hotline selama 24 jam bila dibutuhkan. Namun selama ini warga banyak yang langsung menelefon petugas kebakaran dan pihak Damkar juga tidak memberitahu kami," kata Budi.

Pihaknya juga aktif bila terjadi kebakaran mendatangi lokasi. Namun hal ini karena terbentur keterbatasan personel PDAM yang tugas piket yang dimiliki. "Tapi akan diupayakan petugas PDAM juga aktif ke lokasi bila ada kebakaran," ujar Budi yang ditemui di ruang kerjanya, Jumat (4/2). “Kalau pemegang kunci hydrant tidak sembarangan orang yang memegang, karena itu termasuk asset perusahaan,” tutur Budi

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Batalkan Kontrak Kerja Sama PAM Jaya dengan Mitra Asing (Cancel Work Contract of Pam Jaya with the Foreign Partner)

Source: Kompas

Kompas - 04 Februari 2005

Jakarta, Kompas - Kontrak kerja sama antara Perusahaan Air Minum (PAM) Jaya dengan PAM Lyonnaise Jaya dan Thames PAM Jaya harus dibatalkan. Selain itu, peraturan yang mengatur kenaikan tarif air otomatis yang akan semakin menyengsarakan masyarakat harus dicabut.

Hal itu dikatakan mantan anggota Komisi B Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah (DPRD) DKI Jakarta yang kini menangani Lembaga Swadaya Masyarakat (LSM) Komite Mata Rakyat, Ugiek Sugiharjo, dan anggota Komisi B DPRD DKI Jakarta, Nuraini Syaifullah, di lokasi berbeda, Kamis (3/2).

English Translation

Kompas - February 04 2005

Jakarta, Kompas - the same Work Contract between the Drinking Water Company (Pam) Jaya and Pam Lyonnaise Jaya and the Thames of Pam Jaya must be cancelled. Moreover, the regulation that arranged the automatic rise in the water tariff that increasingly will torment the community must be repealed.

That was said former the Commission member B the Council of Delegation of the regional People (DPRD) the Special Capital District of Jakarta that currently handles the Non-governmental Organisation (the NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION) the Committee, Ugiek Sugiharjo, and the Commission member of the People's eyes of B DPRD Special Capital District OF Jakarta, Nuraini Syaifullah, in the location were different, on Thursday (3/2).

Mereka menanggapi seputar adanya keputusan kenaikan tarif air secara otomatis yang berlaku setiap enam bulan, sementara pelayanan pengelola masih sangat buruk (Kompas, 2/2).

Menurut Ugiek dan Nuraini, seharusnya Pemerintah provinsi (Pemprov) DKI Jakarta berani memutuskan dan membatalkan kontrak kerja sama itu. Sebab, selama masa kerja sama sampai saat ini tidak membuahkan hasil seperti dalam perjanjian.

"Mitra asing itu telah menyalahi kontrak kerja sama. Dalam perjanjian, mitra asing harus meningkatkan mutu air sehingga bisa layak diminum dan akan menanggulangi pipa yang bocor. Tetapi mana? Sampai sekarang airnya keruh, malah berbau. Pipanisasi malah menjadi beban masyarakat," kata Ugiek.

Ugiek mengaku tak tahu-menahu mengenai kenaikan tarif air otomatis yang disetujui oleh DPRD DKI Jakarta periode 1999-2004.

Hal senada dikatakan Nuraini. "Harus dikaji ulang kerja sama itu. Alasannya, tidak ada peningkatan pelayanan selama kerja sama yang dimulai Juni tahun 1997 dan diperbaiki Januari 1998. Malah masih lebih baik pelayanan ketika dikelola PAM Jaya sendiri," ujar Nuraini menjelaskan.

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Govt red tape retards infrastructure investment

Source: The Jakarta Post



Last month's much-hyped Infrastructure Summit has apparently not been able to spur government bureaucrats into action, particularly on the issue of promised regulations to streamline the process for foreign investors.

Prior to the summit -- in which 91 infrastructure projects worth US$22.5 billion over the next five years were offered to domestic and international investors at the Jan. 17 and Jan. 18 event -- the government has prepared 11 government regulations and three presidential decrees as the legal basis for those projects, but those will take several months to implement.

"We (the government) can't issue the regulations any time soon because our workload in the first three months has been too much. It has been very difficult to issue new regulations," State Minister of National Development Planning Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Thursday.

The main obstacle for the planned issuance of the regulations, she said, was that the many of the drafts could contain articles that are in conflict with other laws. That would mean even more time as the government would have to revise the laws to be consistent with the new regulations.

"We must maintain legal consistency between existing laws and new regulations. We must also take into account the impact of our long-term development programs. We must meticulously arrange the regulations to avoid legal uncertainty in the future," Mulyani explained.

Sri would not venture a guess as to when the reform-oriented regulations would be issued.

Legal uncertainty is one of the main concerns for foreign investors, in addition to the out-of-control corruption here. They have expressed fear that legal uncertainty would result in legal disputes, either with local partners or with the government.

Investors have also proposed the possibility of obtaining legal protection and guarantees directly from the central government in developing infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, a source at the Office of the Coordinating Minister of the Economy said the government might "take months" before completing the new regulations since it has to revise a number of laws with the House of Representatives before they are endorsed.

"It is such a mess. It will take months before the regulations on the incentives can be implemented," said the source.

The government is in dire need of a whopping $150 billion in new investment for the development of roads, power plants and other crucial infrastructure facilities over the next five years.

Some 55 percent of the funds, or around $80 billion, is expected to come from outside Indonesia in the form of foreign direct investment or loans from donor countries and agencies, while the rest will be from domestic resources.

Among the regulations promised to investors is their ability to negotiate toll rates and concession periods with the government in order to enable investors to calculate the cost feasibility of projects.

Another promised regulation is on the government's assistance to the investors in acquiring land for toll road projects, including the avoidance of lengthy negotiation periods and disputes with local land owners over the compensation price.

Another proposed regulation will require local administrations to protect land allocated for toll roads by maintaining the land price in the areas, in order to prevent unscrupulous brokers from increasing prices.

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'Tap water should be free of charge'

Source: The Jakarta Post

The tap water rate increase that took effect on Jan. 20 was one of the automatic increases that will take place every six months for the next five years. The city administration says the money collected from the increase will be used to pay an outstanding debt of Rp 938 billion (US$105 million) to its foreign water company partners. The Jakarta Post ask residents for their opinion on the issue.

Arief, 33, is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Indonesia. He lives in Kalibata, South Jakarta:

The impact of the water rate hike? It depends on who's using it. Most of the users are low-income families who already are suffering from the recent fuel and gas price hike.

Jakartans are mostly businesspeople, ranging from street vendors to tycoons, who use large amounts of water.

People can understand an increase in fuel and gas prices, but water is supposed to be subsidized by the government. The government should provide water for free because it is a public resource.

We can hope that the increase will improve service because I have had only turbid water the last few days.

Meutya, 34, is a wife and mother of two children. She lives in Jatinegara Baru, East Jakarta:

It's awful to have another rate increase. How come the city administration doesn't have the decency to lighten the burden on the people?

I can only appeal, please, no more increases in public utility rates. It's already hard for us to put food on the table with the fuel and gas price hike. I would be thankful if the government would provide free water, like in the U.S.

I will have to be more thrifty. For drinking water we can use mineral water, but for washing the dishes and clothes, well, that will be difficult.

Why don't they just cut the salaries of the city councillors or take the money from the rich to subsidize the water rates. I hope my children won't have to face these kinds of burdens in the future.

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PDAM Kota Makassar Akan Cari Sumber Air Baru (PDAM Makassar looks for new source of water)

Source: Kompas

Makassar, Kompas - Selambatnya 10 tahun ke depan, PDAM Kota Makassar harus sudah punya sumber air baku yang baru. Sumber-sumber air baku yang ada selama ini diperkirakan tak akan mampu lagi memenuhi kebutuhan air di masa mendatang di tengah bertambahnya penduduk dan kian pesatnya perkembangan Kota Makassar. Apalagi masalah kekeruhan yang terjadi di Sungai Jeneberang saat ini diperkirakan tak akan selesai hingga tujuh tahun ke depan.

English Translation

Makassar, Kompas - A the Slowness 10 years to the front, PDAM the Makassar City had to have had the source of new standard water. Standard sources of water available uptil now was estimated still can not fill the requirement for water in the future in the middle of the inhabitants's increase and increasingly the Makassar speed of the development of the City. Moreover the problem kekeruhan that happened in the Jeneberang River at this time it was estimated will not be finished till seven years to the front.

Hal itu dikemukakan Wali Kota Makassar Ilham Arief Siradjuddin dan Direktur Utama (Dirut) PDAM Kota Makassar Ridwan Syahputra Musagani yang dihubungi secara terpisah di Makassar, Senin (31/1).

Pekan lalu, Kepala Sub-Dinas Bina Manfaat Dinas Pengelolaan Sumber Daya Air (PSDA) Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan Soeprapto Budisantoso mengingatkan, penyelesaian masalah air di hulu Sungai Jeneberang akan memakan waktu sedikitnya tujuh tahun.

"Untuk mengantisipasi kebutuhan warga saat ini, serta beberapa tahun ke depan, PDAM Kota Makassar memang membutuhkan sumber air baru. Karena pencarian sumber air baku yang baru adalah wewenang dan tanggung jawab Direktorat Jenderal PSDA, maka kami akan mendiskusikan hal ini dengan PSDA. Kami berharap PSDA dapat membantu pemerintah kota merealisasikan hal ini, di samping membantu memperbaiki kualitas sumber air baku yang selama ini digunakan PDAM," ujar Ilham.

Keharusan

Dirut PDAM Kota Makassar Ridwan Syahputra Musagani bahkan mengatakan, "Ini adalah keharusan dan kebutuhan. Kita tidak bisa lagi semata-mata mengandalkan sumber air yang ada sekarang karena kedepan selain jumlah penduduk dan kebutuhan air kian bertambah, Kota Makassar juga makin berkembang. Jadi soal ini sudah harus dipikirkan sejak sekarang agar selambatnya 10 tahun ke depan sudah ada hasilnya."

Ditambahkan, kendati masalah sumber air baku yang baru ini adalah program jangka panjang, tetapi sejauh ini pihak PDAM sudah mulai mendata beberapa sumber air, antara lain di Kabupaten Takalar dan sekitarnya.

Tingkatkan kapasitas

Sementara ini, untuk mengatasi krisis air yang terjadi akibat kekeruhan di Sungai Jeneberang, selain pengoperasian tiga buah pompa terapung di Bendungan Bilibili, PDAM juga akan meningkatkan kapasitas beberapa instalasi pengolahan air (IPA) yang ada. Seperti IPA Maccini Sombala yang saat ini berkapasitas 200 liter per detik akan ditingkatkan menjadi 500 liter per detik.

"Selain itu kami juga akan mencoba membenahi Bendungan Lekopaccing di Maros untuk menjamin air baku di IPA Panaikang agar tetap stabil dan tetap berkapasitas 1.000 liter per detik. Kami juga akan melakukan perbaikan jaringan untuk menjaga agar tidak ada air yang terbuang percuma," jelas Ridwan.

Dengan apa yang dilakukan sekarang, kata Wali Kota Makassar, untuk tahun 2006 PDAM menargetkan dapat memenuhi kebutuhan air bersih untuk 90 persen warga Kota Makassar.

"Kami optimis target itu akan dapat tercapai jika kondisi air baku yang dipergunakan PDAM saat ini cukup baik," katanya.

Hingga kini, dengan lima IPA dan total produksi dalam keadaan normal 2.340 liter per detik, PDAM Kota Makassar baru bisa memenuhi kebutuhan air bersih untuk 842.654 jiwa dari 1.145.406 jiwa total penduduk Kota Makassar.

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Penyaring PDAM Tak Mereduksi

Source: Pikiran Rakyat



SUMEDANG, (PR).-
Keruhnya pasokan air PDAM Kabupaten Sumedang yang sempat terjadi dan dikeluhkan oleh para pelanggannya di beberapa kawasan seputar Sumedang kota hampir sepanjang Senin (31/1), terjadi akibat bak-bak penyaring air di sumber pengolahan air PDAM yang berada di Blok Nangorak, Kecamatan Sumedang Selatan, tak mampu mereduksi tingkat kekeruhan air dari sumbernya.

Hal itu dijelaskan pihak PDAM melalui Direktur Umumnya, Rd. Moch. Taufik S, serta Kabag Humas dan Langganan (Kahublang), Cece Wahyu Gumelar, menjawab pertanyaan ”PR” mengenai penyebab keruhnya suplai air PDAM.

English Translation

SUMEDANG, (PR).-

Turbid PDAM water supplies, the Sumedang Regency, that could happen and was complained about by his customers in several regions around Sumedang of the city almost for the length of Monday (31/1), happened resulting from basins of the water filter in the PDAM source of the processing of water that was in the Nangorak Bloc, the Subdistrict Sumedang South, could not mereduksi the level kekeruhan water from his source.

That was explained by the PDAM team through Umumnya Director, Rd. Moch.S Taufik S, as well as Kabag public relations and the Customer (Kahublang), Cece Wahyu Gumelar, answered the ”PR” question concerning his turbid cause of the PDAM supply of water.

Moch. Taufik maupun Cece Wahyu Hidayat, ditemui terpisah di kantor PDAM Sumedang, Selasa (1/2) menerangkan, di tempat pengolahan air baku PDAM yang mengolah air dari Sungai Cileuleuy di Blok Nangorak, terdapat enam bak penyaring. Jika dalam kondisi normal keenam bak tersebut berkemampuan menyaring air baku dengan tingkat kekeruhan maksimum 500 NTU.

Sementara, tingkat kekeruhan air dari Sungai Cileuleuy yang masuk ke sistem bak penyaringan Blok Nangorak pada Senin (31/1), menurutnya terukur hingga mencapai 800 NTU. "Selain itu, debit air baku dari Sungai Cileuleuy yang masuk ke sistem pengolahan air Blok Nangorak sempat meningkat hingga 200 liter per detik."

"Sedangkan kapasitas kemampuan mengolah air dari keenam bak penyaringnya maksimal hanya untuk 100 liter per detik. Namun masalah ini, kemarin sudah kami atasi dengan membatasi debit inputnya," tutur Moch. Taufik.

Terkait dengan itu, Cece kepada ”PR” menjelaskan, selain masalah tadi, kemampuan sistem penyaringan air di Blok Nangorak itu belakangan sudah menurun drastis. Bahkan menurutnya, empat bak di antaranya kini nyaris tak mampu lagi berfungsi sebagai penyaring.

"Keruhnya air yang tersuplai ke para pelanggan kemarin, karena bak penyaring di Nangorak yang bisa kami fungsikan kemarin hanya dua bak, yang lainnya sudah tak mampu menyaring. Untuk menormalkan kembali fungsi penyaringan air di ke-empat bak tersebut, kami harus mengganti pasir kuarsanya, dan itu sekarang sudah mulai kami lakukan," ungkapnya.

Ditambahkan selain ada masalah di sistem pengolah air, berupa keruhnya air yang disebabkan adanya peningkatan kekeruhan air di sungai Cileuleuy. Dia menduga hal itu terjadi, karena adanya peningkatan erosi lahan di sepanjang daerah bantaran sungai Cileuleuy.

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Sutiyoso won't delay water rate hike

Source: The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso has refused to delay the water tariff hike, saying that it would only burden future city residents.

"The increase could be much higher in the next six months should we continue to delay the hike," he told reporters after a hearing with the City Council on Wednesday.

He argued that the hike was inevitable as the administration had to repay an outstanding debt of Rp 938 billion (US$102 million) to its foreign partners, Thames PAM Jaya and PAM Lyonaisse Jaya.

A councillor of the Prosperous Justice Party faction, Mukhayar, urged the administration to consult the City Council prior to the hike. --JP.

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