Protect Urban Lakes with Accurate Data

Efforts to protect urban lakes in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi can begin by collecting accurate data.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

The Rompong reservoir in Cempaka Putih, South Tangerang, Banten – seen here on Saturday (28/9/2019) – is surrounded by settlements. Based on data from the Ciliwung-Cisadane River Basin Agency, the reservoir has shrunk from an initial area of 10 hectares to only 2.99 ha, mainly due to massive residential construction.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Efforts to protect urban lakes in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) can begin by collecting accurate data.

The concrete data is needed because many lakes are located in areas that have been developed into new cities that require more land area for settlement.

As many as 208 lakes in the Jabodetabek area are controlled and managed by the Ciliwung-Cisadane River Basin Agency (BBWSCC) under the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry. The compilation of the lake data has been carried out since 2014 after the task to control the lakes was transferred to the BBWSCC.

Data being complied include the coordinates of the lakes, the size of the area beforehand and in 2018 and their administrative areas. However, according to the findings of the Kompas investigation team, the existing data does not reflect the real condition of the lakes. Lake Asem in Bogor City, for example, is still recorded in the BBWSCC inventory as a lake, despite the fact that the reclaimed lakebed became a housing complex in 1996.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

The Tujuh Muara reservoir in Pamulang, South Tangerang, Banten – seen here on Monday (30/9/2019) – is relatively well preserved. Some green areas in South Tangerang have been shrinking fast due to the conversion of land into residential areas.

Lake Ciming in Sukmajaya, Depok, is still recorded to be covering an area of 1.5 hectares. In fact, a number of housing complexes have been built on the reclaimed lakebed since 1986.

A search on land maps on the National Land Agency website also found that 30 of the 208 lakes have been certified under land ownership (SHM) and right-to-use (HGB) titles under the names of individuals and corporations.

In addition, the names of a number of lakes are also different from those in the BBWSCC document or in local government records, such as Lake Salam in Bogor. The lake is recorded at the BBWSCC, but it is not found in the Bogor city spatial planning.

KOMPAS/RYAN RINALDY

Residents clear the Gunung Putri reservoir in Bogor regency, West Java, of water hyacinth on Saturday (7/9/2019). Some of the area has become the object of ownership disputes between locals holding land documents and the government.

However, the name of Lake Salam is found in the West Java Water Resources Office\'s Asset Inventory. By tracing the field survey document of the technical implementation of the West Java Water Resource Office in Bogor in 2010, Lake Salam was discovered to have been recorded under the name Lake Anggalena.

Lake Anggalena is listed in the Bogor City Spatial Planning. During 2017 and 2018, of the existing 208 lakes in Jabodetabek, the BBWSCC has only compiled data on 62 lakes. The inventory is based on information from each local government.

Disappear

The BBWSCC’s head, Bambang Hidayah, said the data obtained from the regional government did not include the information related to their boundary areas. However, according to him, the boundaries can be identified from the sedimentation layers found in the area.

The BBWSCC also found as many as 16 lakes previously listed in local government documents have disappeared. "I just haven\'t found them yet. Maybe they are there, but haven\'t found them yet. I dare not say they have become homes. Maybe some of them have become houses," said Bambang. After the data inventory, the BBWSCC revitalized the lakes by dredging them, especially those that are shallow and provide supporting infrastructure.

In order to protect the lakes from being claimed by individuals and developers, since 2017 the government has certified the lakes under HGB titles.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Water hyacinth covers most of the surface of Cileduk reservoir, South Tangerang, Banten, Saturday (5/10/2019). The uncontrolled growth of water hyacinth can disrupt the ecosystem because it reduces the amount of sunlight that can reach plants below the surface of the water, thereby reducing oxygen in the water. But on the other hand, water hyacinth can restore polluted waters as the a plant can absorb organic and inorganic compounds with a high level of effectiveness.

The director of state property at the Directorate General of State Assets (DJKN) of the Finance Ministry, Encep Sudarwan, said if some of the lakes had come under the control of individuals or companies, the PUPR Ministry should report them to the DJKN. However, before submitting the report, the ministry should defend the state ownership over the lakes through a local approach. "So, to remove the state property [from the inventory] is something that is very difficult," said Encep. (ADY/SPW/MDN)