TEN MILLION WATER CONNECTIONS IN PIPELINE TO DELIVER SOCIAL JUSTICE by Fardah

Jakarta, May 14, 2016 (Antara) - Safe drinking water is crucial for health, and the Indonesian government is trying to ensure that most citizens have access to clean water.          The government has planned to allot new water connections to 10 million households by 2019, thanks to Rp70 trillion worth of budgetary support.      The 10 million-clean water pipe connections program is aimed at ending social injustice, as it is mostly the poor who lack access to clean water.         Families with low income and without access to piped clean water have to spend more money on buying this basic provision.          Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla had recently urged that priority should be given to providing clean water connections to low-income families to reduce their living costs.          "Homes of those with low income should be prioritized, so their living cost comes down," Kalla noted in his opening remarks at the Indonesia Water and Wastewater Expo and Forum (IWWEF) 2016, held in Jakarta, on May 3-4.          He explained that every household usually spent Rp300 thousand per month for clean water, or Rp40 thousand per can, making it more expensive than clean water supplied by the PDAM.          The state-owned Water Supply Company (PDAM) has so far installed clean water connections in three million households.       According to data provided by the company, only 10 million households in Indonesia have clean water connections, and the number is expected to double by 2019.          Besides, the government has also provided subsidy by writing off PDAM's debts, amounting to Rp4 trillion.          "We subsidize fuel and electricity energy to the tune of almost Rp1 trillion per day. In 2010, the subsidy was more than Rp300 trillion. On the other hand, discussions on giving subsidy to PDAM by writing  off its debt amounting to Rp4 trillion had dragged on for 10 years. In fact, the amount equals just four-day worth of fuel subsidy," Kalla argued.          He hoped that the company would be able to provide clean water to the public in sufficient amount.          Organized under the theme, "Clean water is a Human Right," the IWWEF 2016 was held for the sixth time to showcase advancements in water technology.          Central and local government institutions, water supply companies, stakeholders, and water industry professionals participated in the event, organized by the Indonesia Water Supply Association (Perpamsi).          The IWWEF was strategically important for Perpamsi to improve performance in the drinking water and wastewater sector, especially as it tries to achieve the 2015-2019 National Midterm Development Program target set by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing.          The Indonesian government's vision of "100-0-100," as stipulated in the 2015-2019 National Mid-Term Development Plan, envisages reaching the target of 100 percent citizens having access to clean drinking water, 0 percent living in slums and 100 percent having access to good sanitation by 2019.          Perpamsi Chairman Rudie Kusmayadi noted that the IWWEF served as a platform to discuss issues relating to debt relief and issuance of 10 million connections in keeping with the target.          In his opening remarks addressed to the Forum's participants, Kalla also called upon people to conserve water in view of the limited water resources and increasing demand for water.          Although 75 percent of the Earth's surface comprises water, only 0.003 percent was consumable, Kalla stated here on Tuesday while opening the Indonesia Water and Wastewater Expo and Forum (IWWEF).          Water and land are two things which are limited on this planet, he remarked.          Under the current circumstances, water is a basic need. Demand for water is also more in case of those who pursue a more affluent life style, he said.          Parts of the world are facing a water crisis due to the depleting water resources, he added.          Citing an example, he said some 300  million Indian people are currently facing a water crisis.          Kalla stated that the Indonesian people should be grateful because the country still has plenty of greenery.          He, however, said the country has lost some 50 million hectares of forest area over the past 50 years, and as a consequence, water resources must have been depleted, too.          Therefore, efficient water distribution and water usage have become imperative, he noted.          Most homes in Indonesia have individual wells that supply water for household needs. These wells are referred to as 'deep wells,' though these are actually shallow wells that are around 20m deep on an average.          A typical domestic setup in urban areas, in particular, consists of a well pump that lifts the water from the well and pumps it into an above ground storage tank. ***4*** (f001/INE/B003)  14-05-2016 21:30:11