Bekasi Regency (ANTARA) \u2014 West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi (KDM) has\ncalled for normalisation work on the Cikarang Bekasi Laut (CBL) River,\nwhich runs through three districts in Bekasi Regency and spans 16\nkilometres, to be completed this year.<\/p>\n
The river, which passes through Cibitung, North Tambun and Sukawangi\ndistricts, is being cleared to help reduce the risk of flooding in\nBekasi Regency. Only one kilometre of the work remains.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt must be finished this year. How much will the remainder cost? Rp2\nbillion should be enough for Bekasi Regency to complete it,\u201d KDM said\nwhile inspecting the work site in Bekasi Regency on Monday.<\/p>\n
KDM also drew attention to three bridges in Sriamur village, North\nTambun district, which he said could obstruct the flow of water towards\nthe CBL River.<\/p>\n
The West Java provincial government said it was ready to help rebuild\nthe bridges after they had been demolished, allowing the river to carry\nmore water.<\/p>\n
The province also said it was prepared to help normalise the Kali\nMati in Sukamekar village, Sukawangi district, where heavy sedimentation\nhas led part of the watercourse to be converted into residents\u2019\ngardens.<\/p>\n
The river requires urgent attention so that it can once again\nfunction as a water channel and support irrigation for local farms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an emergency, and we cannot predict the rain ahead. We will\nuse the unexpected expenditure budget (BTT). If it is not completed this\nyear, we will continue next year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Bekasi Regent Asep Surya Atmaja welcomed the provincial government\u2019s\nsupport for speeding up flood mitigation in Bekasi Regency. He said the\nremaining funding needed to complete normalisation of the CBL River in\nline with the target would be secured promptly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will complete the normalisation of the CBL River this year, and\nwe will also resolve the budget shortfall this year, so that\nnormalisation from Cikarang to the confluence with the Bekasi River can\nbe completed quickly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Asep expressed similar support for the province\u2019s assistance with\nplans to normalise the Kali Mati in stages, from Sukamekar village in\nSukawangi district to Cabangbungin district.<\/p>\n
He said restoring the river\u2019s function was important for residents,\nparticularly in northern Bekasi Regency, and would help meet the\nirrigation needs of agricultural land.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully this will be carried out properly. For homes affected, the\nGovernor and I will find a solution. The important thing is that the\nKali Mati can function again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He expressed hope that accelerating normalisation of the CBL and Kali\nMati rivers would enable the provincial and regency governments to\nincrease river capacity, reduce obstructions caused by sedimentation and\nstrengthen efforts to tackle recurring floods in Bekasi Regency.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod willing, when flooding comes, the water volume will be lower,\nmaking floods more manageable and minimising their impact,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/west-java-governor-kdm-urges-completion-of-cbl-river-normalisation-this-year-1793019177", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }