"In April 2024, we will start normalizing the downstream (area) of Wulan River," Hadimuljono noted in a statement from the Ministry of PUPR in Jakarta, Tuesday.
According to the minister, apart from repairing the embankment and normalizing the Wulan River, there is also a program to build a 60 km long embankment and normalize the Juana River and rehabilitate a 10 km long embankment, both in 2025-2027.
Hadimuljono also instructed that emergency repairs to the Wulan River embankment in Demak District, Central Java, which collapsed due to heavy rain on February 3-5, 2024, can be completed within three days.
He remarked that flood management around Kudus and Demak had started immediately by increasing the capacity of the Kencing Drainage Pump House that enters the Wulan River.
“To deal with the broken embankment, four excavators and three amphibious excavators have been deployed. It is targeted that the embankment will be able to be closed within three days,” he stated.
"Twelve pumps, with a capacity of 5m3/second, have also been prepared to reduce flooding, and we will add more pumps to make it faster in reducing the area and height of standing water in the affected areas,” he elaborated.
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Hadimuljono inspected the location where the Wulan River embankment broke due to large flood discharge and high rainfall intensity.
Before inspecting the Wulan River embankment, he also reviewed the flood location on the Kudus-Purwodadi road section in Gubug Village that collapsed due to the overflow of the Tuntang River in Grobogan.
During the inspection, he instructed that a parapet or barrier wall be built at the same height of the river embankment on both sides.
“For the flood in Gubug Village, a little of the road body was eroded. It did not collapse. I think it will be completed in two days to cover the road foundation,” Hadimuljono stated.
“We then make a parapet that is as high as the embankment, so that water does not flood the road because the road parapet is lower than the embankment,” he added.
The PUPR Ministry, through the Emergency Response Team of the Central Java Regional Settlement Infrastructure Center (BPPW) in coordination with the Demak District BPBD and the refugee post coordinator, provided facility assistance to those affected by the flood.
They provided two portable toilet units and one public hydrant unit with stands in Demak District and four portable toilet units and two public hydrant units with stands in Kudus District.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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