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Jakarta needs better underground utility system
The recent gas leaks caused by the construction of the light rail transit (LRT) in Cawang, East Jakarta, should serve as wake-up call for the development of Jakarta’s underground system, an expert has said.
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A backhoe operates on Jl. MT Haryono in East Jakarta at the site where a gas pipe was ruptured by light rail transit (LRT) project drilling on Monday night. (kompas.com/Stanly)
T
he recent gas leaks caused by the construction of the light rail transit (LRT) in Cawang, East Jakarta, should serve as wake-up call for the development of Jakarta’s underground system, an expert has said.
A gas pipe operated by state gas company Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN) was ruptured on Wednesday evening after reportedly being hit by a backhoe used in the LRT project.
That was the second such incident in a week, as on Monday the pipe, laid 1.5 meters below ground level, was accidentally drilled by the LRT workers, causing a gas leak in front of the National Narcotics Agency’s (BNN) headquarters.
University of Indonesia construction expert Yuskar Lase said construction workers often had no idea about what lay under the road because there was no map showing pipe or cable installations in Jakarta.
“The contractors usually detect what lies under the road by drilling the road first to see the cable or pipe installations there,” Yuskar told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
Only a few companies detected the underground utilities using geo-radar as the equipment was still expensive, he added.
Therefore, the city administration should collect the data on underground cables, pipes, and fiber optics installed by companies in the city, Yuskar said.
Ideally, the administration should build a ducting system to house those underground utilities, he added.
