Welcome Guest   |  Login   |   Signup
JG Logo
Thu, May 24, 2012
Archive Search

Shortages Not Our Faul, Jakarta Water Company Says
Ulma Haryanto |

Share This Page
0
0
0
0
Share with google+ :


Post a comment
Please login to post comment

Comments

Be the first to write your opinion!

Water operator PT Aetra Air Jakarta said it had done its part to repair facilities and normalize the water supply in Jakarta, but factors beyond its control continued to cause shortages in several areas of the capital.

The company said a pump at its water treatment facility in Pulogadung had been repaired ahead of schedule, and several previously damaged pipelines were now functioning normally.

Yosua Tobing, corporate secretary for Aetra Air Jakarta, said residents could expect a return of normal water supplies within the  next 48 hours.

“The massive silting that broke the pump in Pulogadung was caused by the declining quality of water. We fixed the pump and parts of the pipeline network,” Yosua said. “This  shortage is not entirely our fault.”

He said it would take more time for water to reach areas located farther from the main pipelines, which had been empty for days.
“And there are people in several neighborhoods in North Jakarta who collect water from hydrants too, and this makes [the distribution of water] even worse,” Yosua added.

Aetra Air Jakarta said it was becoming increasingly difficult to provide millions of Jakartans with potable water.

“The city has become overpopulated, and the levels of pollution have increased exponentially,” Yosua said. “These two factors greatly contribute to water  shortages in the city.”

He added that some 221 water tanks had been delivered to hospitals and residential areas for free during the water shortages.

“We just want to make sure that the free water is not being resold,” he said.

This year, Aetra Air Jakarta has reported that 2.7 million cubic meters of water has been classified as of “bad quality.”

Yosua said there were other possible sources of water that could be pursued to meet Jakarta’s massive demand.

“The East Flood Canal is one such alternative. If it becomes fully operational soon, we can start using it,” he said.

The city government may also consider building dams in Halim, East Jakarta, and at Lake Sunter in North Jakarta, and a waterway that would be able to channel the water flowing through the West Flood Canal.

However, Yosua said these projects would take at least five years to complete.