"TNI personnel have often helped us and their performance has been unquestionable. In view of that, we will involve them in putting the Ciliwung river banks in order," Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said here on Friday.
One of the tasks of TNI personnel is to organize scavengers to remove garbage from the river and supervise their work, he added.
"Scavengers will be asked to use floating nets to collect wastes from the river. They may dispose of or recycle the garbage collected," he noted.
With regard to funding the restoration work, the governor remarked he will either use the budget available with working units or will use his operations funds, because the rainy season will peak in January and therefore the cleaning work must start early in December.
The chief of staff of the Jakarta Military Command, Brigadier General Teddy Laksmana, revealed that a total of 1,155 TNI personnel will be involved in the cleaning work.
"We will also get some 2,000 residents to join us in our public service efforts. Along with them, we will clean the Ciliwung river, and we will do it immediately," he pointed out.
The Ciliwung river has become shallower and narrower as several houses have come up along its banks causing the river to overflow during the rains.
The Jakarta city government has plans to resettle the people here in flats.
(T.R027/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
