Tangerang ready to revitalize rivers

Multa Fidrus , The Jakarta Post , Tangerang Thu, 03/27/2008 City

The central government has disbursed Rp 110 billion (US$11.9 million) to fund revitalization programs for rivers and lakes in Tangerang regency and municipality this year.

"Most rivers and lakes in both Tangerang regency and municipality are in critical condition," the secretary of commission III of Banten Provincial Council, Thoni Fathoni Mukson, said Wednesday at the Center for Cisadane and Ciliwung Rivers Preservation.

He said Rp 53.4 billion of the funds had been earmarked to revitalize 11 small lakes, while the remainder would be used on various dredging and embankment construction projects.

"With this fund disbursement, the central government has fulfilled its promise to help regions prevent the kind of flooding problems that hit most parts of the greater Jakarta area last year."

He said Rp 7 billion of the funds would be used to finance dredging near the source of the Cisdane River, Rp 17 billion for the construction of an embankment along the Cirarab, another Rp 18 billion for an embankment project near the Cirarab River's estuary and Rp 20 billion for dredging and renovation of the Cisadane Pasar Baru Dam.

"The dredging and renovation project at the Pasar Baru dam will start in the near future because all preparations have been made," he said.

Normalization programs, which involve the widening of constricted river banks, are set to begin shortly at five out of a total 11 small lakes.

"We hope the preservation center can give priority to local companies to do the project work because it will be easier to make them accountable should their work prove sub-standard," he said.

He said if funding were not as high as expected, the center would prioritize the dredging of other rivers in the province.

The head of general affairs and equipment bureau at the Banten provincial administration, Agus Randil, said the river and lake normalization programs were aimed at coping with flood problems in Tangerang.

"There are 120 small lakes in Banten. Thirty-five of them are spread in Tangerang regency and five others in Tangerang municipality," he said.