"We still have some works related to flood control, including the land availability for embankments," Deputy Minister of Public Works, Diana Kusumastuti, said on Monday.
Related to this matter, the ministry will coordinate with the authorities, starting from the district government, city government, and provincial government, to the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR).
"Hopefully, in April (2025), we can determine the location and at the end of May, we can carry out land acquisition. In June, we are looking for a follow-up on the construction of embankments on the Bekasi River, which still has 19.4 kilometers left," Kusumastuti said.
She added that the construction of the Bekasi River embankment will consist of seven phases and a total budget of Rp3.6 trillion (US$213 million).
On the same occasion, ATR Minister Nusron Wahid confirmed that the flood mitigation infrastructure requires land determination and land acquisition.
"Based on the meeting, we are committed to starting the construction of the embankment in June, including river normalization, embankments, and river boundaries, as well as lakes, irrigation, and dams," he informed.
Earlier, West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi committed to making efforts to prevent floods from recurring.
According to Mulyadi, three issues are responsible for flooding in West Java.
First, in the upstream area, the function of water catchment areas consisting of mountainous areas, forests, and plantation areas has changed. They have been converted into elite residential areas and tourism areas, leading to the eroding of the water catchment area.
Second, there has been a change in river banks that have experienced narrowing and swallowing. Residential areas have also been developed in river basins.
Third, in the downstream areas, many rice fields and swamp areas have been turned into residential areas. This resulted in the deluge recorded in early March, with floodwaters reaching a height of 2.5 meters.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Arie Novarina
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