Sentani, Jubi – Jayapura Deputy Regent Giri Wijayantoro recently said that until now, the potential of Lake Sentani had not been maximized to fulfill the needs of the people who live close to the lake or the general public.
Such abundant water in Lake Sentani, Giri said, had not been used for irrigation, Hydroelectric Power Plant, and many others. In addition, the condition of the lake is also starting to experience silting.
“Silting has started to occur due to various sediments carried by river currents from urban areas or naturally formed at the bottom of the lake,” said Giri in Sentani on Monday, June 20, 2022.
So far, Giri continued, Lake Sentani had not been used optimally as a regional income source, it was only used by local people who work as fishermen.
“Each work unit of the government, the community, and related parties have not been giving proper attention to the lake,” he said.
Regarding tourism potential, supporting facilities such as tourist boats are already available. Therefore, the readiness of each village is important, as well as the publication of the tourism potential such as historical objects, sites, and local cultural traditions. This information must be made available to attract visitors.
“This simple thing as the publication has been missed by relevant parties, as well as by the local people who live in the village. Information regarding the available potential should be managed properly for the welfare and economic improvement of the community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sentani academician Jems Modouw said that every year silting occurs in Lake Sentani because of the large amount of sand, stone, and household waste carried by the river from the city to the lake, as well as household waste in every village on the shores of the lake.
“The results of the collaborative research by several research institutions in Indonesia say that every year, the siltation reaches one meter. The research was carried out seven years ago, so there has been siltation of seven meters from the bottom of the lake,” he said. (*)