East Flood Canal still a pipedream, no govt fund<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Officials admit there has been no significant progress in the
\n23-kilometer flood canal project in the eastern part of the
\ncapital because both the central government and the city
\nadministration have not disbursed any funds to commence the work.<\/p>\n
\"We can't do anything now as the fund, mostly from the central
\ngovernment, has not been disbursed,\" Leo Sianturi, head of
\ntechnical section of the water resources department at the
\nDepartment of Public Works told The Jakarta Post on Friday.<\/p>\n
The Rp 12 billion (US$1.2 billion) East Flood Canal is a
\nproject which has been agreed upon by the central government and
\nthe city administration to solve flood problems here.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso had earlier said clearance of some 250
\nhectares for the project, requiring some Rp 1.3 trillion, should
\nbe finished this year. Leo, however, said that so far only five
\nhectares of land had been cleared.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Djendam Gurusinga of the Ministry for Resettlement
\nand Regional Infrastructure, said there were no technical
\nproblems involved in the project, the feasibility study of which
\nwas conducted in 1973. The central government hired an Amsterdam-
\nbased consulting group, Nedeco, in 1976 to design the canal.<\/p>\n
Djendam said that so far there was no talk about land
\nclearance in his ministry as the financial resources were still
\nbeing discussed at the Cabinet level.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think that the land clearance could be done this
\nyear,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Djendam is head of the special unit handling issues connected
\nwith the Ciliwung and Cisadane rivers, which is under the
\nDirectorate General of Water Resources.<\/p>\n
The East Flood Canal is part of the government's plan to build
\na half-circle-like canal along the northern part of the city that
\nwill take in water from the city's 13 rivers originating in the
\nhighlands of Bogor and Depok in West Java and emptying into the
\nJava Sea off North Jakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-flood-canal-still-a-pipedream-no-govt-fund-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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