Save Meratus As Water Tower

By Hasan Zainuddin

Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan (Antaranews) - Environmental Forum, Walhi, in group discussions held by  Pena Hijau (Green Pen) here requested action to saving Meratus forests that become water tower in South Kalimantan Province.

Berry Nahdian Forqan, a social and environmental activist from Walhi at the discussion in the Abdi Persada hall in South Kalimantan Governor 's office on Saturday said Meratus forests are water catchment areas for the nine districts in the province. If the forest is broken then millions of people would have trouble in the water.

However, to save the district of thousands of hectares of Meratus wet tropical forests it need a comprehensive in-depth review, because of many interests in the region, he said when answering questions from the Hasan Z from Forum Komunitas Hijau (FKH) of Banjarmasin.

Importantly, he said, Meratus area should be free from illegal logging, coal or iron ore mining, as well as for the economic exploitation of natural resources.

Meratus environmental damage, particularly in the area of the Riam Kanan dam will affect the availability of water, for Banjarmasin taps, Banjarbaru taps, or Banjar District taps.

Mountains Meratus now broken characterized with increasingly less debit of Martapura River water to disgorge Meratus, increasingly murky, even many contaminated.

Therefore, he wants , especially Riam Kanan dams, should be managed by specialized agency established by the government to act according to the rules for managing and rescue Sultan Adam forest parks in the area of the dam.

If the problem is not addressed, then the estimated five to ten years in the future, Banjarmasin and surrounding areas will no longer have the raw water to be processed into clean water.

The dialog also present speaker from PDAM Banjarmasin, PT DAS, Head of the South Kalimantan Regional Environmental Agency (BLHD) and Banjarmasin BLHD Head and Head of Water Resources and Drainage Agency.