The Ministry Of Energy And Mineral Resources Explains The Rules For Groundwater Permits

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources through the Geological Agency provides an explanation regarding the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Decree No. 291.K/GL.01/MEM.G/2023 concerning the Standards for Implementing Approval for Groundwater Use, following the previous regulation as outlined in the Decree of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources No. 259.K/GL.01/MEM/2022 concerning the Standards for Implementing Groundwater Concesssion Permits.

Acting (Plt) Head of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Muhammad Wafid said, based on Law no. 17 of 2019, basically the use of groundwater to meet basic daily needs and people's agriculture does not require a permit (agreement for the use of ground water).

"However, if the fulfillment of basic daily needs by taking more than 100 (one hundred) cubic meters per month of groundwater per month, then approval is needed for the use of groundwater," he said in a statement to the media, Monday, October 30.

For information, in the Standard Regulation for the Implementation of Approval for Groundwater Use, it is stated that a request for approval for the use of ground water is carried out for daily basic needs if the use of ground water is at least 100 cubic meters per month per head of the family or is used in groups with the provisions of more than 100 cubic meters per month per group.

This application for licensing is also made for people's agriculture outside the existing irrigation system. In addition to fulfilling people's daily and agricultural basic needs, he said, permits are also needed for tourism or water sports activities that are managed for the public interest or not business activities, utilization of groundwater for research needs, for city parks that are free of charge, houses of worship, public facilities, assistance for drill wells that are rice from the government, private or individual and use of ground water for government agencies.

Wafid said that groundwater management is an important process in maintaining the sustainability of underground water resources. Good management is needed to maintain adequate groundwater availability for various purposes, such as human consumption, agriculture, industry, and ecosystems.

For the sake of maintaining environmental support, the Government has issued regulations related to the regulation of groundwater licensing in Law Number 7 of 2004 concerning Water Resources which was later replaced by Law Number 17 of 2019 concerning Water Resources.

Wafid said that arrangements for utilizing ground water are needed so that groundwater degradation does not occur with a poor water draw.

"In order to avoid bad conditions, prevention efforts are needed. Groundwater extraction by overpumping or exceeding safe yields has been proven to have a negative impact on groundwater conditions and environments," he said.

According to Wafid, the public must understand even though groundwater is a renewable natural resource, but if there is a disturbance, recovery takes a long time and requires conservation.

Groundwater, continued Wafid, can also be understood as non-renewable resources if it emphasizes the social approach and is directly related to the sustainability of use (groundwater sustainability).

"For this reason, the Government needs to regulate its utilization so that there are no negative impacts due to excessive water extraction," he said.