This is to prevent the land subsidence in Jakarta from happening again. One of the efforts is we provide piped drinking water for Jakarta and its surrounding areas.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) will develop two drinking water systems (SPAM), Jatiluhur 1 and Karian Serpong, for Jakarta and surrounding areas and make them operational in 2024, an official has said.



The two projects are expected to stop groundwater use by residents living in Jakarta and its surrounding areas, Diana Kusumastuti, the director general of construction at the PUPR Ministry, told the press here on Monday.



"We expect the two SPAM will operate or its commercial operation date (COD) start in 2024; (the two regional SPAMs) are Jatiluhur 1 and Karian Serpong. Hopefully, it can be done," she said.



The PUPR Ministry is still making preparations for the Juanda regional SPAM project, she informed.


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Efforts are being undertaken to develop SPAM through public-private partnership (KPBU) schemes to halt the use of groundwater in the capital and its surrounding areas, Kusumastuti explained.



"We must stop the groundwater use in Jakarta and its surrounding areas. This is to prevent the land subsidence in Jakarta from happening again. One of the efforts is we provide piped drinking water to Jakarta and its surrounding areas," she added.



The government has decided on the provision of piped drinking water through regional SPAMs to meet the water needs of residents in Jakarta and its surrounding areas, such as Bekasi and Karawang, Kusumastuti said.



The piped water will be sourced from Jatiluhur Dam for the Jatiluhur 1 regional SPAM and Karian Dam for the Karian Serpong SPAM, she informed.



"This is because the Jakarta area does not have a raw water source," she informed.


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As part of efforts to stop groundwater use, the Jakarta provincial government has also proposed another SPAM project in Buaran sub-district, East Jakarta to the PUPR Ministry, she said.



Earlier, PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono had revealed that the Karian Serpong SPAM project, which is being undertaken under a public-private partnership, will prevent the land level decline in the Jakarta area.



According to Hadimuljono, if the water needs of Jakarta's western region are met, the government can prohibit the use of groundwater in the capital and its surrounding areas.

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Translator: Aji C, Kenzu T
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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