RI, Germany build water station

JAKARTA: The Indonesian and German governments have established a water quality monitoring station in the East Java capital of Surabaya to assess the quality of the water in the Berantas river.

The development, known as the "Mermaid-Brantas" project, is also aimed at providing recommendations on how to manage the quality of the river's water, the Germany Embassy in Jakarta said in a statement on Friday.

The embassy said the project, which is part of the Indonesian- German joint marine program, was developed by a German consortium along with Indonesian partners.

The German consortium that co-developed the facility comprises two private sector firms, H. Jena and Hydromod, and two scientific institutions, GKSS Research Center and the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany.

On the Indonesian side, the co-developers include the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), the East Java branch of the Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal), state-owned water company Tirta Jasa, and the University of Surabaya.

The new facility will be officially opened next Monday. -- JP