The plan was discussed at a flood management meeting in Serang on December 24, involving district administrations, the Cidanau–Ciujung–Cidurian River Basin Authority (BBWS C3), the Banten Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), and representatives of Padarincang residents.
Banten Governor Andra Soni said the proposal is an integrated, cross-river plan and should not be viewed solely in terms of its budget size.
"The focus is not on the amount. Look at the sources. It covers several rivers and their management," he said.
Technical presentations showed that normalizing the Cikalumpang River would require about Rp27 billion, while the Bojong and Cikoneng rivers are each estimated at around Rp20 billion, and the Ciwaka River at about Rp63 billion.
Normalizing the Cibanten River estuary using sheet piles is projected to cost Rp65 billion, while similar work at the Cipasilian River estuary is estimated at Rp67 billion.
The largest allocation, Rp559 billion (around US$33.3 million), is earmarked for rehabilitating primary and secondary irrigation channels across the 8,700-hectare Cidurian irrigation area.
Soni said strengthening river functions is crucial to sustaining water resources and reducing flood risks in vulnerable areas such as Padarincang.
"Lessons from Sumatra show that when major floods occur, the losses can be far higher. This budget is reasonable compared to the risks we face," he added.
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Translator: Devi, Kenzu
Editor: Anton Santoso
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