Housing and Settlement Minister and Interior Minister Ensure Optimal Slum Area Management
Pontianak – Housing and Settlement Minister Maruarar Sirait, together with Interior Minister Tito Karnavian and accompanied by West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan, inspected progress on the Slum Housing Infrastructure Development Programme in Parit Baru Village, Kubu Raya District.
“We have come here together with the Interior Minister and the Governor to directly observe the results of work in the field,” said Housing and Settlement Minister Maruarar Sirait in a statement received in Pontianak on Tuesday.
Maruarar appreciated the coordination between central and local government in implementing the programme. He emphasised the importance of oversight to ensure that state budget truly benefits the community directly.
Based on collected data, the management of the 19.92-hectare slum area involved a contract value of Rp7,339,776,247.84. Work includes construction of 2,565.70 metres of access roads, 2,001.47 metres of drainage systems, provision of 90 waste management units, and construction of four fire protection facilities.
“This project worth more than Rp7 billion must have its quality assured, from roads to drainage, so that residents of Parit Baru Village no longer face poor environmental challenges,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan stated that Parit Baru Village was selected as the primary programme target because its infrastructure and environmental conditions required comprehensive management.
“Alhamdulillah, Parit Baru is the primary target for renovation and reconstruction of slum locations and environments,” she said at the project site.
Norsan explained that the West Kalimantan Provincial Government consistently implements programmes addressing unfit housing and area management through house renovation programmes spread across 14 regencies and cities.
“We already have a house renovation programme in West Kalimantan Province. We repair unfit houses and reorganise their environments. We have such a programme every year,” she said.
She added that Kubu Raya District, particularly along Adisucipto Road, has a fairly high concentration of slum settlements due to old, dense, and unorganised development patterns. Many buildings are cramped together with frequently clogged drainage channels.
“Kubu Raya District has the most concentration, especially along Adisucipto Road. The layout has been like this for a long time – walls meeting walls, all drainage systems jammed. That is why it was selected for renovation,” said Norsan.
The area management programme is expected to improve the living standards of approximately 3,492 residents in Parit Baru Village and serve as an example of central and local government collaboration in realising healthy, well-organised, and sustainable settlements in West Kalimantan.