INBO'S NEWSLETTER N° 4

INBO'S NEWSLETTER N° 4 - 1996

Table of contents	INBO'S NEWSLETTER - N° 4 - 1996
ASIA INDONESIA

Clean River Programme (PROKASIH) in East Java

Indonesia, as one of the most densely populated countries in the world, is now entering the era of industrialization. Industrial development had a good impact on the economic development of the country and on the working opportunities for the population. But, because of limited treatment facilities and urbanization, development had a dangerous impact on the environment. The water quality of certain rivers has significantly deteriorated.

Thus, a crash programme became necessary. The Minister of State for Population and Environment in cooperation with the Minister of Home Affairs and the Governors of the eight priority provinces established PROKASIH, abbreviation of PROGRAMME KALI BERSIH (Clean River Programme) in June 1989. Its objective is to improve river water quality by decreasing the pollution load entering riverbeds during the dry season and by creating public awareness on a clean and healthy environment.

Nowadays, PROKASIH is implemented on more than 40 rivers in 17 provinces in Indonesia, including 6 rivers in East Java. It is focussing on controlling point-sources of water pollution from industries and will be followed by other sources such as domestic and agricultural pollution sources.

In 1993, Jasa Tirta launched the Clean River Campaign (Safari Kali Bersih) along the Brantas river.

After six years, PROKASIH has managed to reduce industrial pollution and to improve river water quality. Although the standards of pollution abatement mentioned in the masterplan have not yet been achieved, the positive point of the programme is effective pollution control activities based on a high commitment of Local Governments and on public participation.
Ir. Trie M. Sunaryo
Jasa Tirta Public Corporation
Fax : (62-341) 551 976

Cost recovery system

Perum Jasa Tirta (PJT) is a public corporation established by the Governmental Decree of 1990. It is a public service for the utilization of the water potential in the Kali Brantas basin to meet the demands of many people.

However, as a public corporation, PJT has to follow the principle of business management in order to make profits to be used in the public interest.

PJT has been levying a "water service fee" from users since 1991 under a "cost recovery system" to cover the costs of operation and maintenance of water resources structures in the area.

So far, flood control and water quality management are still exempted from this operation and maintenance fee. The parties that participate are the State Electricity Company (PLN), Local Government Water Enterprises (PDAM), industries and commercial agriculture.
Ir. Harianto
Jasa Tirta Public Corporation
Fax : (62-341) 551 976

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Table of contents	INBO'S NEWSLETTER - N° 4 - 1996
ASIA INDIA

Purna River Basin

A national symposium on "Integrated approach to the management of water and soil in Purna river basin" was organized in Nagpur on February 2-4, 1996.

Purna River Basin has unique features, as out of the 7,500 sq.km watershed, an area of about 3,000 sq.km is occupied by saline groundwater. The situation of drinking water supply is highly critical.

Surface water development in the region is negligible, in spite of the fact that average rainfall is 800 mm per year. Thus, the region is lagging in socioeconomic development. This situation can only improve if efforts are made by all concerned, by integrated planning and by developing water resources in the area.

The symposium reasserted the principle laid down in the National Water Resources Policy (1987), that all development projects should be formulated within the framework of a masterplan for a river basin/sub-basin.
Dr. S. M. Dhabadgaonkar
Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering
Fax (91-712) 223 230/223 969

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Table of contents	INBO'S NEWSLETTER - N° 4 - 1996
CENTRAL ASIA THE ARAL SEA

The Scientific Information Centre (SIC) of the Interstate Coordination Water Commission (ICWC) for the Aral Sea Basin was established on December 5, 1992.

Located in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), SIC carries out scientific investigations for Central Asian States in order to improve environmental and water management in the basin: common water management policy, common programme for saving and increasing water resources in the Amudarya and Syrdarya river basins, water transfers from other basins into the Aral Sea, environmental sanitation of the region and how to overcome the consequences of the Aral Sea deterioration and of water resources depletion, monitoring systems for both river basins.

In addition, SIC ICWC is responsible for: cooperation on the use of water saving technologies and on the improvement of irrigation systems, publishing a periodical to inform regional water organizations, and for the coordination of international projects on regional water management in Central Asian States.
Victor A. Dukhovny (SIC ICWC)
Fax : (7-3712) 650 558

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Table of contents	INBO'S NEWSLETTER - N° 4 - 1996
ASIA WESTERN SIBERIA

New organizations in the Tom River Basin in Russia

The Tom River basin covers 6 Russian regions and belongs to the Ob basin, the longest Russian river. Its surface area reaches 62,000 km2, its length is over 800 km. This basin comprises 342 rivers of more than 10 km. Population is 3 million inhabitants and 90 % of the total surface area is located on Keremovo and Tomsk territories.

Intensive use of natural resources, especially coal, has caused the present crisis. Due to water resources depletion and pollution, the Tom has become the "dirtiest" river of Russia.

More than 2,100 million of m3 of wastewater are yearly discharged, 474 of which are badly treated and 83 are not treated at all. Water is polluted by petroleum based products, nitrates, nitrites, nitrogenous materials and phenols which cause the deterioration of the population's health.

Tomsk and Keremovo Administrations have decided to improve the structure for water resources management. Therefore, an agreement was signed by the French and Russian Ministries for the Environment to set up an experimental River Basin Agency for Tom river. An Executive Directorate for water supply in the basin was established in 1994 and will be reorganized as a River Basin Agency.

Then, the Tom River Basin Committee was created in November 1994 with the assistance of French specialists and of Tomsk and Keremovo Roskomvods.

The committee members are representatives of the most important users, from Regional administrations and State organizations in charge of water management.

In compliance with the cooperation programme, 3 groups of experts participated in a training programme in France in order to study the experience and activities of the Water Agencies.

A seminar and a study tour were organized in 1995 to study the English, German and Dutch experiences.

Following this training, some principles were laid down: need to improve management structures (creation of River Basin Agencies), monitoring of all tributaries, preparation and implementation of priority programmes and planning, measures for water protection.

The River Basin Committee also carried out, with the French enterprise "Beture-Environment", an evaluation of potable water and wastewater treatment in Keremovo, Tomsk and Novokouznetsk towns, within the framework of TACIS programme.
Valentin Najdanov
Tom River Basin Committee
Fax : (7-3842) 25 92 54

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