DKI Provincial Government Evaluates Infiltration Well Program In Response To Discourse Strikes Out Budget

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria said that his party would evaluate the vertical infiltration or drainage well program in connection with the discourse of removing the program's budget in the 2022 RAPBD by the DKI DPRD.

"We will see how effective the use of the infiltration well budget is in the last two years," Riza said at the Jakarta City Hall, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, November 16.

Riza explained that the construction of infiltration wells is only one of several DKI Provincial Government programs for flood control. He also asked for the role of the community in providing an evaluation of the flood control program.

"Citizens of Jakarta or anywhere else, please provide input, suggestions and criticisms for the improvement of the program made, which was prepared jointly between the provincial government and the DPRD," said Riza.

Regarding the discourse of eliminating the infiltration well budget, Riza invited the DPRD to discuss this with the relevant agencies.

In principle, the provincial government prepares the budget and the program according to existing needs for the good of the city and the citizens of Jakarta.

"So which program, it was agreed and how much was chosen, of course there were priorities and stages," said Riza

"Of course we invite our friends from the relevant agencies together with the DPRD to discuss further and in more detail, our hope is that it is important to discuss it immediately and we decide that the APBD draft is submitted," he said.

Previously, in reading the views of the factions in the 2022 RAPBD, PDIP faction member Agustina Hermanto said that her party encouraged the budget for the river normalization and restoration program which was budgeted at Rp 1.2 trillion to be increased in 2022.

Even diverting budgets that are considered unclear, such as infiltration wells, are removed and diverted for normalization.

"Unclear programs such as infiltration wells are recommended to be removed and the budget allocated for river normalization," he said.

Chairman of the PDI-P faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Gembong Warsono, said that his party rejected the proposed budget of more than Rp. 100 billion to be used for the construction of infiltration wells.

The refusal was made at the General Budget Policy meeting and the Provisional Budget Priority Ceiling (KUA-PPAS) of the 2022 RAPBD.

The reason for removing the budget for making vertical drainage is because the program is considered not to have an impact and benefit in flood control. In fact, the amount of money disbursed is already very large.

"This year, around Rp. 100 billion has been proposed, not even Rp. 200 billion. In 2021, it will be Rp. 416 billion, if I'm not mistaken. It's big," said Gembong at the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Friday, November 12.

Gembong regretted the decision of the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan not to use the funds for the construction of infiltration wells to relocate residents along the riverbanks so that normalization can proceed.

"In the past, Pak Anies wanted to execute two jobs, it could be completed at once. Settlement of settlements can be well-organized and then flood alleviation can also be carried out properly," said Gembong.

Since the beginning of his tenure, the program for constructing infiltration wells or vertical drainage has been the mainstay of DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan in preventing flooding and land subsidence in Jakarta.

Anies said that his party even gave a discount on Land and Building Tax (PBB) for houses that have infiltration wells.