Kapuas River Should be Optimized to Face Kalimantan Peatland Challenges: House

RRI.CO.ID, Pontianak - Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Abdul Hadi, highlighted that the province of West Kalimantan has peatlands, making development very limited and requiring high costs. Therefore, he hopes the Kapuas River, which stretches across the province, can be processed into clean water for the community.

"That (Kapuas waters) is what must be processed into clean water for the community. What's important is that the water is drinkable and that we use adequate technology to provide it to the community," he said during a visit to the Arang Limbung Drinking Water Supply System in Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan, on Monday, August 24, 2026.

Hadi said one of the main crises within the province is the scarcity of clean water. However, he emphasized that the development should also focus on the post-construction phase and long-term risk management, so he reminded officials that its success depends heavily on the regional operators.

"Of course, we hope this project will be completed within one year (2027). However, once it's finished, management shouldn't appear to be simply left to chance," Abdul Hadi said, as quoted from the House's website on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

"There must be strong cooperation with the local water company. The company must play a maximum role in providing water to the community efficiently and without burdening (the tariff)," he added.

Abdul Hadi understands that providing potable water in West Kalimantan is far more complex than in his constituency. He cited the example of his constituent in West Nusa Tenggara, where water can be collected through dams, but the peatland contours in West Kalimantan make infrastructure development very expensive, requiring specialized technology.

He explained that the southern region of West Nusa Tenggara faces water shortages. However, the region has an advantage over West Kalimantan, such as the availability of dams for raw water, which the government can then manage through pipelines.