Its damaging potential to flood securing infrastructure has become higher. Therefore we need a higher budget."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Nearly Rp613.27 billion (US$47 million) of a special budget, up from Rp559.16 billion budget in 2015, has been allocated for the emergency handling of flood across the country.
"For (handling) the flood, this amount is still very low. Therefore we will focus on (handling) of strategic areas here (due to the low budget). We know, our rivers need to be restored, and this budget could not cover it," Director General of Water Resources of Public Works and Housing Ministry, Imam Santoso said here, Friday.
Of the total budget, the government has disbursed some Rp200 billion (US$15.3 million) of funds, he said.
"This is because we still have floods in some regions such as Gorontalo and Garut in West Java," he said.
The widespread flood in some regions, as a result of the defacement of the upstream area, has forced the ministry to continue increasing its budget for the purpose, Imam said.
"Its damaging potential to flood securing infrastructure has become higher. Therefore we need a higher budget," he said.
So far the ministry has restored 3,600km, or some 14 percent of the total 24,804km of rivers throughout the country.
In 2016, the ministry has so far restored only 148km of rivers, which showed a wide gap between the budget and the need for revitalization of rivers, he said.
Meanwhile, the ministry has allocated Rp500 billion from a special budget to cope with high tides along the northern coast of Java, especially in Pekalongan and Semarang, Central Java Province.
"We will build higher walls to contain the high tide, and drainage to retain high tide water from flooding the streets, especially in Semarang. It is expected to be finished by 2019," an official said.
As an emergency measure, the ministry has installed six mobile pumps in Semarang, to secure the northern coast of Java.
(Reported by Edy Sujatmiko/Uu.S022/INE/KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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