Fresh and clean. Kali Garang, a 9-kilometer long river in Semarang, locally known as Kali Banjir Kanal Barat (West Flood Canal River), has been cleaned up and become a recreation site for locals. The river was the center of activities to celebrate the 21st World Water Day, on Monday. (JP/Suherdjoko)

Thirteen new reservoirs will be built in 2013, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto announced at the celebration of the 21st World Water Day in Banjir Kanal Barat (West Flood Canal) in Semarang, Central Java, on Monday.

'The new reservoirs will tackle the water crisis,' said Djoko.

'All of the construction will be funded by the state budget and will be multi-year projects. Each reservoir will take three to five years to build," he added.

The Public Works Ministry developed 11 reservoirs in 2009.

Djoko said that a 9.3 kilometer West Flood Canal should be a model for other regions.

Central Java Governor Bibit Waluyo said that Central Java had proven that with a good water management, it could meet its rice self-sufficiency target of 3 million tons per year, but that the construction of Jatibarang reservoir in Gunungpati was still underway.

'With the reservoir, we can supply water for Semarang without taking ground water from artesian aquifers to meet the demand of ships in Tanjung Emas Port,' said Bibit, adding that with excessive ground water extraction, land in Semarang could sink by 5 centimeters per year. (asw/ebf)

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