Surabaya Regional Council Urges More Measured Project Execution
Surabaya (ANTARA) - The Deputy Chairman of the Surabaya Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), Bahtyar Rifai, is pushing for flood control projects to be more measured, coordinated, and systematic, following frequent leaks in PDAM Surya Sembada pipes caused by heavy machinery impacts.
“Physical projects, whether small or large scale, should not disturb the existence of vital objects and other public utilities,” he said in Surabaya on Thursday.
He noted that a lack of technical coordination in the field has been deemed detrimental to the daily productivity of affected residents.
“The long-term goal of these flood management projects is very good, and we fully support them. However, the construction process must not strike the PDAM pipe network. The impact of a water crisis is felt by the community immediately,” he added.
He specifically highlighted the physical work on covering drainage channels funded by the Sub-district Fund (Dana Kelurahan).
Based on field evaluations, these neighbourhood-scale projects have a very high potential for damaging clean water pipes compared to larger projects managed by relevant departments.
According to Bahtyar, projects led by vertical departments usually have a more mature planning system and always coordinate closely with PDAM before commencing excavation.
“Conversely, projects at the sub-district level often proceed without accurate mapping of underground utilities,” he said.
This condition has recently triggered clean water crises in several areas due to pipes being accidentally excavated by heavy machinery.
Reported affected areas include the Simomulyo area in Sukomanunggal District, the Asemrowo District area, and several parts of Kenjeran District.
“The damaged installations have a wide scope. The scale of damage can affect the water supply for several neighbourhood units (RT/RW), even across different sub-districts. This is why it is essential to sit down with PDAM from the initial planning stage to map out which points are safe before deploying heavy machinery,” he said.
He requested the Surabaya City Government to immediately establish robust technical synergy between project contractors, sub-district or village authorities, and the board of directors of PDAM Surya Sembada.
A digital map of underground utility networks must be held by every field worker before any excavation begins in residential areas.
This mitigation step is considered crucial, given that the Surabaya City Government is currently aggressively promoting flood prevention programmes ahead of the rainy season.
“Anticipating the impact of construction must be carefully considered so as not to trigger negative externalities for the residents of the City of Heroes,” he concluded.