Head of the Area Infrastructure Development Agency at the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry Arief Dienaputra stated that this commitment was made since the area was not really suitable for living in addition to the fact that it was located between Belawan River and Deli River, thereby making it prone to flooding.
"This is form of intervention in infrastructures by the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry in places of extreme poverty, for which the government has targeted in 2024 to realize zero-percent extreme poverty," Dienaputra noted in his statement on Wednesday.
The agency has formulated a master plan on an integrated area planning for Belawan, synchronized with the handling of inhabitable houses by the Directorate General of Housing.
They were also working with Directorate General of Human Settlements on basic infrastructures, such as sanitation, clean water, drainage, and roads. The Directorate General of Water Resources will also be involved in the handling of irrigation facilities, he added.
The master plan has been followed up by the Directorate General of Human Settlements that made a more elaborate plan.
He stated that the Belawan Area would be improved in some phases. The terms would need to be agreed upon, such as whether it was short term, mid term, or long term, he added.
Director General of Housing at the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry Iwan Suprijanto noted that his administration supports improvement of the Belawan Area. He noted that back in 2022, a team from the directorate general was sent to that area to conduct survey and identification.
In the Belawan Area, some people live legally, and they have land and houses, while some live illegally on the state's lands without proper documentation.
Those who live illegally will be assisted by building flats, for which development would be discussed with the mayor of Medan. As a part of the aid, houses owned legally will be improved further.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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