The Ministry Of PUPR Has Completed The Arrangement Of The Senanak River Bank In Palembang, Minister Basuki: Don't Be A Trash Can!

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) has completed the construction of flood control infrastructure in Palembang City, South Sumatra.

The completion of the infrastructure is in the form of normalization of the 5.4-kilometer (km) Dam River, river cliff strengthening and retention ponds at the mouth of the Bendung River covering an area of 0.93 hectares (ha) with a capacity of 30,000 cubic meters which is used as water storage in the rainy season.

PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the arrangement of riverbank areas was part of efforts to educate the public about the importance of water and the management of sustainable water sources.

"Water management is our business together, including the community as water users. Therefore, we are obliged to preserve the presence of water sources, such as not throwing garbage into the river," Basuki said in a written statement, quoted Monday, August 14.

In 2021, the Ministry of PUPR through the Sumatra VIII River Basin Center (BBWS), the Directorate General of Water Resources, has completed the Semakar-Lambidaro River flood control project in Palembang City through the arrangement of the 777 meter (m) Seanak-Lambidaro river edge area at a cost of IDR 50 billion.

Then, in 2022, the Ministry of PUPR through BBWS Sumatra VIII will hold the Sembidaro River Festival to exemplify the community for handling rivers through non-structural activities involving the community to clean rivers.

Various activities were held at the Festival, including planting greening trees around the riverbanks and river crossing activities.

Head of BBWS Sumatra VIII Maman Noprayamin said the arrangement of the Seanak-Lambidaro riverbank area was a form of utilizing riverbanks as a public space for the people of the city of Palembang by not reducing the function of the river itself.

"The arrangement of the Senanak-Lambidaro River is part of the main drainage and flood control system in Palembang City. The concept of structuring is to restore the function of the Sembidaro-Lambidaro River by making it part of the icon of Palembang City, so it is hoped that it will build public awareness to maintain river cleanliness," said Maman.

Maman said, in 2022, the continued work on the arrangement of the 1.3 km Semanak-Lambidaro riverbank area from the Palembang Indah Mall bridge segment to the South Sumatra DPRD has also been completed.

"To provide a shady feel and comfort for visitors along the corridor, it has been equipped with plants that make the area ornamental," he said.

The presence of the Sembek-Lambidaro River Park is expected not only to be a flood control and a raw water reservoir, but also as an environmental education tourism object because it is equipped with a park that is a public open space.