Mojokerto City Government Conducts Riverbank Mitigation Efforts

Mojokerto (ANTARA) - The Mojokerto City Government in East Java conducted community work (korve) in Mentikan Ward to mitigate potential disasters in the river catchment area. Mayor of Mojokerto Ika Puspitasari in Mojokerto on Friday stated that this activity is part of the synergy of the “Indonesia ASRI” and “Rukun Tetangga (RT) Berseri” programmes to maintain environmental cleanliness and prevent disasters. During a direct inspection in the field, Ning Ita, the mayor’s affectionate nickname, identified at least five critical points along the Brangkal River embankment experiencing erosion, ranging from moderate to severe. “This condition threatens the safety of thousands of residents living in densely populated areas along the riverbank,” she said. She explained that the five points are in a very concerning condition due to erosion. Given the extreme weather and high rainfall upstream, the risk of the embankment leaking or collapsing is very high. “The impact on settlements behind the embankment would be extraordinary,” said Ning Ita. Regarding the revitalisation of the river embankment, Ning Ita explained that the seven major rivers crossing Mojokerto City are assets under central government oversight. Therefore, the Mojokerto City Government lacks the authority to carry out revitalisation independently. As a strategic step, she said, the Mojokerto City Government will immediately send a letter again to Jasa Tirta as the asset user to urge acceleration of the revitalisation. She added that with community work activities every Friday, it is hoped to spark public awareness to continuously maintain cleanliness and environmental health in Mojokerto City. “We hope that with this community work activity, the public will be motivated to maintain their respective environments to avoid threats from hydrometeorological disasters,” she said.