This article titled "West Jakarta closes deep wells to conserve groundwater" (the Post, March 17) was just in time. Just this week the so-called World Water Forum took place in Istanbul, so a lot of time will be wasted by the unutterable talking down of the worldwide water problems.
I will hold to the statement: We are living on a so-called water globe - 71 percent of the earth's surface is covered by water. Unfortunately, not everybody has free access to clean drinking water. Human overexploitation is responsible in many areas of the world as the reason for the often disastrous water shortage - as it is in the Jakarta area.
Although the heavens frequently open and it pours down during the monsoon season, it is obviously impossible to provide all residents with the staff of life, "drinking water".
The authorities responsible are not even able to build sufficient water pipes, not to mention wastewater collection and disposal, and the corresponding duct systems and sewage plants needed as well.
Consequently, many companies, in the above-mentioned article rightly criticized, do it themselves and build their own wells for a tap water supply for their production facilities. Of course, many homeowners also reach for this nonauthorized self-help, drilling their own wells.
Recently, I searched in the e-archive of the Post for relevant articles, and found many previous indications of the upcoming problems. Some articles were more than 10 years old. What I found was that all these problems have been recognized for a very long time!
The great question is: Why has nothing fundamentally changed? In Indonesia there are some excellent universities and enough technical colleges to teach and train young academics and engineers.
It cannot be that nothing has been happening in the wide field of planning, reliability and environmental issues; the reason seems to be the missing financial resources.
A further provocative question: Who is sitting on the cash box for all these necessary investments for a worth-living future? The reference to missing funds is very often a beautiful excuse! Why does a district building authority allow the development of buildings in nondeveloped areas?
How can it happen that there is uncontrolled construction of houses and workshops directly near rivers and canals, where there is no adequate infrastructure - besides a road?
Why do the authorities tolerate thousands of people getting rid of all their human waste and household waste by throwing it in the rivers' flowing waters?
The administrations are responsible for the strict compliance of the development schemes and settlements. Every migration of people from rural regions to the city or its surroundings can only be carried out when the planning prerequisites for a settlement are fulfilled.
Via the Internet I found a very informative article by the architect Bony Sukamto, who lives in Jakarta and studied at the TU Berlin in the 1980s.
In the German article "Flood Wave in Jakarta" he described exactly, devoid of any polemics, the floods of February 2007 and how, at any time during the monsoon season, these could happen again. Bony also mentioned the basic data of the development planning from 1965 to 2003 which were once the aim of the regional government of Jakarta.
None of this was strictly adhered to. Almost three-quarters of the 200 ponds and many "green isles" in Jakarta were victims of excess planning and were built over - or more clearly: Covered with concrete!
The attractiveness of Jabotabek as an international location is more endangered than ever. Mother Nature is not bothered by people!
Please, keep in your mind: The ecocide is sneaking up on us with great strides. From a critical point onward, Mother Nature will give the survival of humankind no more chances.
Wolf C. Hofmann
Langerwehe, Germany
