Companies misusing groundwater to be prosecuted

Indah Setiawati ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 06/15/2009 10:41 PM  |  Jakarta

In an effort to reduce land subsidence, as of next week the City Environment Management Board (BPLHD) will prosecute companies found breaching regulations on groundwater usage.

BPLHD head Peni Susanti said the board would work with prosecutors and judges during the impromptu trial.

“We will target buildings in business areas because they contribute most [to land subsidence],” Peni said Monday.

Some vulnerable areas in Central Jakarta and North Jakarta had subsided up to 2 meters over the past 17 years, following excessive consumption of groundwater.

The board's head of law enforcement Ridwan Panjaitan said he had worked with water operators and other water-related institutions to collect data on companies that violated the groundwater regulations.
 
“I have obtained accurate data on the violations. With this data, they will not be able to deny [the claims],” Ridwan said, adding that the trials would be conducted on the spot.

The illegal usage of groundwater, including the misuse of water meters and illegal wells, was punishable under City Law No. 10/1998 and Gubernatorial Decree No. 113/2005 on groundwater management, Ridwan said.
Both these laws could impose sanctions in which water permits are revoked and supply is disconnected.
 
If companies continue to break the law, Ridwan said, they could be charged with the 1997 Law on Environmental Management, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and fines of up to Rp 500 million.

“Some companies do not have permits for their wells. Others have permits, but the amount of water they take is over the quota,” Ridwan said.

The board will also check whether wells in buildings are more than 40 meters deep, and whether their water meters have been tampered with.
 

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