Gedong Cai Tjibadak, A Century of Water Source for Bandung Society
Water is the source of life. Speaking of water, the city of Bandung has a water source that has existed since 1921.
His name is Gedong Cai Tjibadak which is located in Ledeng Village, Bandung.
It takes half an hour from the city center to get here. Access is by the side of Terminal Ledeng and can be passed by motorbike or on foot.
Public Relations of Bandung visited the Gedong Cai area, Thursday, January 6, 2022. The week before, Gedong Cai Tjibadak had just celebrated his 100th birthday.
Yes, even though it is a decade old, until now Gedong Cai Tjibadak is still a source of water for the people of Bandung City.
Yadi Supriyadi as Chair of the CAI Foundation (a community group that cares for the Gedong Cai Tjibadak area) said Gedong Cai Tjibadak was built during the era of the first Mayor of Bandung, Bertus Coops.
The development of this water source began with the creation of Bandung, which was projected to be the capital of the Dutch East Indies at that time.
Other information states that this water source was built when the Dutch East Indies government was dealing with a cholera epidemic.
The presence of Gedong Cai Tjibadak was also an effort of the Bandung Government at that time to provide clean water for the community.
The philosophy of the name Tjibadak itself departs from the name cai badag in Sundanese, aka big water in Indonesian.
However, there are also sources who say the naming of Cibadak comes from the conditions in this area which was once inhabited by rhinos.
Reportedly, the name of the Ledeng area also originated from the term Waterleiding in the Dutch colonial era. Waterlaiding itself means big water.
The greatness and grace of Gedong Cai Tjibadak is reflected in the abundance of water. At that time, Gedong Cai Tjibadak produced a water discharge of 50 liters per second.
According to Yadi, this amount is in a surplus. Only 20 percent of the amount of water here can meet the needs of the people of Bandung.
On his journey, Gedong Cai Tjibadak continues to be a source of life for the people of Bandung City.
Time went by, until entering the decade of the 2010s, the water debit in Gedong Cai Tjibadak shrunk quite a lot, up to 18 liters per second.
This decline then became the concern of the Bandung City Government and the community to jointly carry out conservation.
Gradually, the collaboration between the City Government and the community was built. Access to Gedong Cai was improved, as was the water source.
“The conservation has paid off. The water debit, which has shrunk to 18 liters, is now 22 liters," Yadi explained.
This increase does not necessarily make the government and society complacent. Collaboration to protect nature in the Gedong Cai Tjibadak area continues.
Likewise, socialization and education to the public, that the city of Bandung has a water source that is a decade old.
On the same occasion, the Head of Ledeng Village, Budi Prasetio said, Gedong Cai has become a source of pride for Ledeng Village. Moreover, the building is historic and a source of life for the people of Bandung City.
"We have a lot of potential here," said Budi.
Furthermore, Budi explained that currently the efforts of the Bandung City Government through the Kelurahan in protecting this area include revitalizing it.
The building which is now a heritage area is fenced and guarded so that it is not easily touched.
Likewise, the paint and the building were restored to their initial appearance in the Dutch colonial era.
For information, the 100th birthday of Gedong Cai Tjibadak was also attended by Plt. Mayor of Bandung Yana Mulyana on December 29, 2021 ago.
On this occasion, Yana appreciated all parties who took care of each other until Gedong Cai Tjibadak was 100 years old.
He advised that the conservation should be maintained properly. Starting from land use, space for flora and fauna habitat.
"Especially the security of assets, as well as the function of seke as a spring in this place. Hopefully, we will again provide a source of raw water that can be used for the residents of Bandung," said Yana while attending the 100th birthday event of Gedong Cai Tjibadak.
Budi hopes that the 100th anniversary of Gedong Cai Tjibadak is not just a celebration. He hopes that this water source can be a source of endless life for the people of Bandung.
"Hopefully it continues to flow and our children and grandchildren can meet in 100 years and 100 years into the future," said Budi.(ray)**
