VIVAnews - West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan welcomes the positive response from the government to work on Citarum River, especially in an effort to take permanent measures upon emergency situations.
Therefore, Heryawan expects the supporting funds to be immediately disbursed. The expectation was conveyed during the Citarum Management Coordination Meeting with Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare, Agung Laksono, Minister for Public Works Joko Kirmanto, Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, Environment Minister Gusti M Hatta and The Head of National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Syamsul Maarif on Monday, April 5, 2010 at Laksono’s office in Jakarta.
“There are some issues that have to be put into consideration in order to alleviate the impacts of floods in Citarum,” Heryawan said. “Besides the upstream area, there are several structural matters that have to be worked on as well concerning reservoir and the normalization of Citarum”.
Heryawan was accompanied by West Java Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) Head Irfan Suryanegara, West Java Regional Development Planning Agency Chairperson Deny Juanda Puradimaja, Housing and Settlement Agency Head Yerry Januar, The Head of Natural Resources Management Sjaefuddin Maemun, Forestry Agency Head Anang Sudarna, West Java Disaster Mitigation Agency Sigit Udjwalaprana and the Head of West Java Environmental Management Agency Setiawan Wangsaatmadja.
In a statement to VIVAnews, the flood mitigation in Citarum will be carried out by employing structural and non-cultural approaches as well as upstream-downstream simultaneous socio-cultural with multi-sector synergy along with the people, which will be coordinated by Citarum Management Strategic Body. According to Heryawan, it takes about Rp 3.35 trillion to conduct the mitigation activities, which include building Rp 1.023 trillion worth of 22 reservoirs, normalizing Citarum and its nine creeks that costs Rp 312 billion, 30-kilometer dredging of Citarum, which takes Rp 125 billion and Rp 286 billion of relocation.
During the meeting, Djoko Kirmanto also said that during the flood in Bandung’s basin areas a while ago, his team implemented emergency measures that costs Rp 39.02 billion. The fund was used to repair some dykes and lift the sediments beneath Cimade, Cikijing and Cikeruh Rivers in Sumedang and Bandung.
There was also partial normalization in Citarum River in Baleendah, Dayeuhkolot and Bojongsoang. “For permanent measures, we are proposing Rp 3.26 trillion. It’s long term and integrated,” Kirmanto said.
In line with Kirmanto was Zulkifli Hasan, who firmly states that Citarum management has become a serious concern of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The issue is even part of the Forestry Ministry’s work contract. “That means the management is the focus of Forestry Minister,” Hasan said.
Meanwhile, BNPB Head Syamsul Maarif brought up several points regarding emergency measures that include keeping the attention to evacuation spots. This is due to the fact that disaster victims prefer staying at mosques and school buildings to sleeping in tents. There should also be a warehouse to store logistics.
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Translated by: Nataya Ermanti
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