Jati using biopores prevent floods

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 04/07/2008 11:16 AM  |  City

DRILLING TIME: Residents of Jati subdistrict in Pulo Gadung, East Jakarta, learn to create biopores during a short course held by Green Radio station and the Jakarta Environmental Management Board on Saturday. (JP/Triwik Kurniasari)

Dozens of residents of Jati subdistrict in Pulo Gadung, East Jakarta, took part in a short course staged Saturday at Taman Lele Park by the Jakarta Environmental Management Board (BPLHD) and Green Radio station that gave instructions on how to create biopore absorption holes, which can prevent flooding during the rainy season.

"The biopores are quite easy to create. I encourage residents here to make them in their areas and houses. I have set a target for a community unit to have at least 10 biopores," Jati subdistrict chief Endang Febriyanti told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

"Floods and waste are the two main problems for residents. I hope the biopores can really prevent the area from flooding and also help reduce organic waste," she said.

The course was greeted with enthusiasm by Suryono, a resident of the area and a community head.

"Creating a biopore is so simple and easy. I have already created seven biopores in my backyard, a sufficient number to accommodate a week's worth of household's waste," he said.

"I hope they are really beneficial in fighting the floods that often submerge some areas here, including Taman Lele -- a playground for children and a meeting point for residents.

"Floodwater has destroyed the park. People are reluctant to use it during the rainy season because it is dirty and smelly."

The brief course was one of many to be help by the program, which plans to promote the technique in five municipalities in the capital.

Green Radio's program coordinator, Nita Rosita, said they had targeted residents to create 200 biopores in every subdistrict in the city.

The concept, which increases soil water capacity, was first introduced by Kamir Raziudin Brata to his students of the Faculty of Agriculture at the Agricultural Institute of Bogor in 1976.

Bipores are made with a T-shaped iron bore, which creates a one-meter deep hole in the ground with a diameter of between 10 and 30 centimeters.

The holes also offer an increased surface area for insects and worms to break down organic waste.

Insects create additional tunnels when accessing the biopores, allowing more rainwater to be absorbed.

The method not only saves water but also nourishes plants.

BPLHD official Susi Andriani said rice or coconut water could be poured into the biopores to facilitate decomposition of organic waste into compost.

"Ideally, a household should have more than 10 biopores, but due to the lack of space in backyards, it's OK to have less," he said, adding that the city only had about 40,000 water absorption wells, far fewer than the required number of over a million to accommodate groundwater during a flood.(trw)

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