More poor get water access

Triwik Kurniasari , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 07/18/2008 11:17 AM | City

Tap water operator PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) has increased access to clean water for lower income residents by almost 500 percent over the past 10 years, the company announced on Thursday.

"Access to clean water for these residents increased to 496.8 percent. Palyja, which operates in the western part of Jakarta, has also expanded its service coverage from 32 percent to 59 percent of the city, reaching up to 3.3 million people," said Herawati Prasetyo, Palyja vice president director.

She said customer numbers increased from 201,000 in February to 385,000 in May.

"About 20 percent of our customers are lower income residents," she said.

Palyja expects to be able to serve more lower income people in the capital by increasing water connections.

Herawati said 4,885 water connections would be in operation by August, with an additional 1,700 planned for 2009.

Palyja is currently constructing water connections in Menceng and Rawa in West Jakarta, and Muara Baru in North Jakarta.

Palyja and PT Aetra Air Jakarta (AAJ), the city's other tap water operator, have also built water kiosks to serve more households. The kiosks are designed to provide clean water at a cheaper price.

AAJ, which operates in the eastern part of Jakarta, will complete construction of three new water kiosks in Marunda, North Jakarta, in early August.

Ratna Yunita, campaign coordinator of the People's Coalition for the Right to Water (Kruha), had previously called on Palyja, AAJ and the city administration to improve tap water quality and access to clean water, following widespread complaints of unreliable supplies of tap water.

Budi Yuwono, director general of the Public Works Ministry's Cipta Karya division, said Jakarta was in a position to assist other regions across the country suffering from drought.

Some 910 villages in 20 provinces are currently experiencing drought, the ministry said.

"We predict water supplies will dry up in many regions, including South Kalimantan, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara, because of the dry season," Budi said.

"We will provide 18 mobile water tanks to help offset the water shortage."

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