The government plans to revitalize dozens of disappearing and damaged lakes. Problems persist, including land acquisition.
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Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
An aerial view on Tuesday (4/4) of Situ Rompong in Rempoa, East Ciputat district, South Tangerang, shows the reservoir hemmed in by residential neighborhoods. Rompong is one of 21 reservoirs in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, South Tangerang and Bekasi that will be certified. The certificate, which declares reservoirs as state property, is expected to halt and prevent the unauthorized conversion of reservoirs.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – From 2007 to 2017, 33 lakes in Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi have disappeared. This disappearance of natural reservoirs has led to the expansion of drainage basins.
The disappearance of and damage to downstream lakes has also damaged upstream ecosystems in regions such as Bogor. “We need to work together to protect and maintain the optimization of lakes,” National Land Agency (BPN) director general for spatial use and land control management Budi Situmorang said on Monday (12/2) in Jakarta.
In Greater Jakarta, this year’s rainy season has triggered fatal landslides in Bogor. In and around Jakarta, overflowing rivers, especially the Ciliwung and Bekasi rivers, have inundated residential areas.
The annual floods have triggered public awareness on protecting rivers as well as upstream watersheds, lakes and reservoirs, from conversion.
BPN data shows that, the 33 lakes that have disappeared in the past 10 years were in Bogor regency (13 lakes), Bogor city (2), Depok (3), Tangerang regency (9), Tangerang city (3), South Tangerang (1), Bekasi city (1) and Bekasi regency (1). No data is available for Jakarta.
Greater Jakarta had a total of 204 lakes in in 2007, while only 171 remained in 2017.
In 2018, Budi said, interagency cooperation will reinforce protection for lakes, manmade lakes and reservoirs in eight watersheds in Indonesia, including the Ciliwung.
Conversion
The Ciliwung-Cisadane Flood Control Office’s (BBWSCC) 2008 data showed that the number of lakes around the Ciliwung River had decreased from 203 to 183. “Some were used for waste disposal, some filled with sedimentation and some were converted into residential areas,” said BBWSCC operation and maintenance head Gemala Susanti.
In Bogor, West Java, Susanti said, there were lakes owned by individuals and property developers. In Depok, one lake had been converted into a residential area. During heavy rainfall, the area becomes flooded.
In Tangerang, Banten, a small lake was converted into a residential area not long after the massive 2007 flood in the area.
Trisakti University urban planning expert Nirwono Joga said that a new survey this year had found that three of 26 lakes in Depok had disappeared and been converted into housing areas.
Consequently, the areas lose their natural function as temporary “parking” for surface runoff. As the soil can no longer absorb water, the runoff flows into and inundates lower-lying regions.
Revitalization
The government has initiated a movement to revitalize lakes, or natural reservoirs, to restore their vital function. “We have made continuous efforts since 2015,” Susanti said.
In 2015, an environmental audit was conducted on 150 lakes in Bogor regency, Bogor city, Tangerang city, South Tangerang city, Tangerang regency, Bekasi regency and Bekasi city. In 2016, a technical audit was carried out on 22 lakes were conducted on Bogor city, Depok city, Tangerang regency, South Tangerang city and Bekasi city. In 2017, 25 lakes were audited.
As for flood control, apart from lake maintenance and revitalization, the BBWSCC built two dry dams. These dams, the Ciawi and Sukamahi, serve as temporary rainwater catchments to prevent water from flowing directly into the Ciliwung River and flooding Jakarta.
In Jakarta’s downstream regions, their initiatives include expanding a number of lakes into artificial reservoirs. “We are completing six reservoirs in Jakarta,” said Teguh Hendarwan, the city’s water resource agency chief.
The reservoirs are the Rambutan, Brigif, Rawa Lindung, Marunda, Rorotan and the Rawa Kendal. Land acquisition problems persist in developing all six reservoirs.
For the Brigif reservoir, which will hold the runoff from the Krukut River in South Jakarta, 5 percent of 11 hectares of the required land is yet to be acquired, involving six plots totaling 6,000 square meters. For Rawa Lindung reservoir, 2,000 square meters of land is yet to be acquired.
Rantes, 75, who lives near Lindung Lake, said that the lake had been improved through the acquisition of an empty plot of land for its expansion during the governorship of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Once Jokowi was no longer governor, the river normalization program stalled.
More work has been seen in the area in the past month. “The lake accommodates the runoff from community units 001, 002, 004 and 005, as well as from Jl. Raya M Saidi in South Petukangan,” said Pesanggrahan district head Fadjar Churniawan.
Around the Rawa Kendal reservoir in Cilincing district, North Jakarta, landowners said that they were yet to be notified about land acquisition for developing reservoirs. The plan is to build a 15-hectare reservoir. Since Jokowi’s gubernatorial term, it has been unclear whether the project would proceed or not.
“The sooner, the better. We can no longer sell the land to other buyers,” said Syamsul Adam, 53.
The planned reservoir is intended to reduce flooding in Marunda, Rorotan, Ancol, Cakung and Bekasi.
