KALIMALANG
RIVER
(“That
old, river women with river men were never together, only now the only
unification”). That’s what my grandmother described when telling stories about
Bekasi rivers and Tarum Barat river or commonly known as Kalimalang. Bekasi
river water with heavy snaking roads dashing like a snake from the upstream to
the south in the mountains in Bogor up to its mouth in the North Sea Java,
identified with the male figure. Moderate time artificial Tarum Barat river
(Kalimalang) are so quiet flowing water from the reservoir to the east to the
west in Bekasi and Jakarta, depicted with female figures. Originally Kalimalang
water with river water Bekasi told “can not dikawinin” (“do not mix”), whereas
the two streams met in the Bekasi area, precisely at Jalan Hasibuan sluice.
Of
course if anyone thinks with logic, it is impossible if at the confluence of
two streams, the water of the two streams are not fused. But we can think the
upside of the doubt if you read the news about the “Watershed Bekasi and
Kalimalang Will split”, the word around November 2009 are reported both in
print and online media at that time. Two reasons the separation of these two
streams, the first to address the flood from Bogor, the worst flooding occurred
in 2002 and 2007. And the second reason Kalimalang save water as the water
source of raw water for the people of Jakarta and Bekasi. I remember back when
the story was not intentionally doing imaging with Google Map, at the time of
imaging with a scale of 20 meters above the river at the confluence with
Kalimalang Bekasi, the flow of Kalimalang (female river) as it did not want to
unite with the Bekasi river flow (times the male ), Bekasi river flow that is
wider and since the beginning of this year so swift flowing from Bogor (whereas
in the dry season), as succumbing to flow Kalimalang smaller and quieter water
flow. Bekasi River, from the past until now Based on data from archaeological
history, Bekasi river has existed in the 5th century BC, precisely at the time
of the Kingdom Tarumanegara estimated to be around Bekasi.
The
data contained in the inscription of the monument that was first discovered in
1878 in a scientific manner Tugu village, Cilincing, Bekasi (since the 1970s
Cilincing into the Jakarta area). The contents of the inscription describes
excavations Candrabaga River (Bhagasasi = Bhagasi = Bekasi) by Rajadirajaguru
and excavation Gomati River by Purnawarman in year 22 of his reign. If we
believe the sources of ancient history, we can calculate the age of the Bekasi
river where the past and present. The existence of this river has a long story,
a silent witness of human civilization over the centuries. This country since
the country formerly known as fertile with melipah wealth. Because the soil is
fertile, the people cultivate the land by farming, farming, or gardening as a
source of life. Water certainly be one source of livelihood for humans, animals
and plants, and other benefits as a source of irrigation or irrigation fields.
Tugu inscription that tells of the kings of the river digging Tarumanegara
imply meaning how leaders pay attention to water as the needs of its people.
For rice, the river is a source of irrigation water supply to it. Illustrated
how irrigation technology in the future by utilizing the flow of water from the
river for human needs, both for daily needs as well as a source for planting.
As soon as the authorities concerned will be processing and utilization of
water as a gift from the Creator immeasurably, thus serve as a source of water
and livelihood. Take a look at the area of agriculture, where there is a good
flow of water from small streams or large, there is no rice fields. Stated
another first today, if the first flow of water in the river as a gift now
instead become a source of calamity or disaster.
River
is now the cause of the flooding, the water is polluted by industrial wastes
and household, so dangerous to living things. With industrial production budget
saving reasons, the flow of the river used as a waste dump, toxic waste and
even can damage the river ecosystem sustainability, including animals, plants
and humans. Landfills or household waste to be one of the root causes of
floods. That’s the way it is now.
