“Tranquility amidst technology?” a passerby muses near Taman Internet Sei.Harapan. Right here we stand at Taman Internet Sei.Harapan in Batam. It is more than just a park. It is a unique intersection of nature and modern connectivity.
Sungai Harapan is actually the name of a district in the Sekupang subdistrict. It is located in Batam. Sungai Harapan covers an area of 3.33 square kilometers. In 2020, the population was 20,730. The population density was 6,225 people per square kilometer.
Batam is known as a multicultural city. The community includes Melayu, Batak, Jawa and Minangkabau. There are also Chinese, Bugis, Nias, Timor, Sunda and Minahasa people.
The main language is Indonesian. Other languages spoken include Batam Malay, Batak Toba, Minangkabau and Javanese. In 2019, statistics showed diverse religious beliefs. Islam was practiced by 69.73% of the population. Christianity followed with 28.35%. Protestant made up 26.48% and Catholic 1.87%. Buddhism accounted for 1.87%. Other religions represented 0.05%.
Most residents work in the private sector. Many are factory workers around Batam. Others are traders and fishermen. Some are medical professionals. There are also civil servants, bank employees and housewives.
Waduk Sei Harapan is the oldest reservoir in Batam. It was built in 1978. It began operating in 1979. The reservoir has a surface area of 87.64 hectares. The water area spans 75 hectares. Waduk Sei Harapan can hold up to 3,637,000 cubic meters of water. It supplies raw water to Sekupang, Marina and parts of Tiban.
Initially, it was a temporary reservoir. It provided clean water to Pertamina Sambu. Later, it was expanded to meet the needs of Sekupang.
The dam is 250 meters long. Its height above the riverbed is 9 meters. The peak width measures 7.40 meters. The catchment area covers 7.77 square kilometers. Annual rainfall ranges from 2,000 to 4,000 mm. The normal volume is approximately 10 million cubic meters per hectare. The effective volume reaches 40.80 million cubic meters.
The reservoir has a capacity of 3.637 million cubic meters. It can process 210 liters of raw water per second. Currently, the water meets the needs of residents in Sekupang, Marina and parts of Tiban.
Originally, Pertamina managed Batam in the early 1970s. The dam was a temporary solution with a temporary Water Treatment Plan. In 1979, Otorita Batam made the dam permanent. Production capacity reached 210 liters per second.
Standing here at Taman Internet Sei.Harapan reminds us of Batam’s journey. It highlights the blend of technological progress and environmental stewardship.