More cash needed to finance city dredging program<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The dredging of the city's rivers are being
\nhindered by a lack of funds, according to City Public Works
\nOffice chief Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said that the city administration should provide more
\nfunds from its budget to facilitate the implementation of an
\nintensive dredging program as part of the municipality's program
\nto normalize the functioning of the city's rivers.<\/p>\n
The Rp 2 billion (US$909,000) allocated annually by the city
\nadministration to finance the river dredging project sufficed
\nonly to remove garbage from the rivers, he said. To clean up the
\nrivers properly, Soeharto said, required a much higher level of
\nfunding. He added that the cost of cleaning rivers was much
\nhigher than that of cleaning areas if polluted land.<\/p>\n
He said that each day at least 1,350 cubic meters of garbage
\nwas thrown into the 13 rivers which flow through the city. The
\npublic works office is able to remove about 350 cubic meters of
\ngarbage per day and about 600 cubic meters is carried into the
\nsea. The remaining 400 cubic meters of garbage piles up on the
\nriver banks.<\/p>\n
Head of the City Environment Office Aboejoewono A. said
\nrecently that it was time for the municipal government to
\nintensify the dredging of the rivers as part of its clean river
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
Aboejoewono expressed concern over the fact that many dredging
\nactivities were carried out manually. He urged the city
\nadministration to provide the equipment needed to support the
\ndredging program.<\/p>\n
"I know it will be expensive but it has to be done now," said,
\nAboejoewono, who also called for greater awareness on the part of
\nthe public that garbage should not be thrown into the rivers.<\/p>\n
He urged the municipal administration to build fences along
\nthe river banks to prevent the public from throwing garbage into
\nthe rivers.<\/p>\n
Soeharto agreed with Aboejoewono's suggestion. He said that
\nJakartans, especially those living along river banks, had not yet
\nrealized the effects of garbage being thrown into the rivers.<\/p>\n
"Due to their bad habit almost all the rivers in the city are
\nin such bad condition that they need dredging," Soeharto said.<\/p>\n
The Public Works Office has cooperated with the central
\ngovernment to improve the state of Jakarta's 13 rivers by
\ndredging them and demolishing illegal houses built along the
\nriver banks.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's 13 rivers are the Ciliwung, the Mokevaart, the
\nAngke, the Pesanggrahan, the Grogol, the Cipinang, the Kali Baru,
\nthe Sunter, the Jati Kramat, the Krukut, the Buaran, the Kramat
\nand the Cakung. (yns)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-cash-needed-to-finance-city-dredging-program-1447893297",
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