Overcome Rob Demak Flood, Central Java Deputy Governor Normalizes Floating Rivers and Piers

Deputy Governor of Central Java Taj Yasin Maimoen reviewed the flood that often hit Purworejo Village, Bonang District, Demak Regency. ANTARA/HO-Humas Pemprov Jateng

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of Central Java (Wagub Jateng) Taj Yasin Maimoen emphasized that the handling of the flood in Purworejo Village, Bonang District, Demak Regency would be prioritized through river normalization and the construction of fisheries infrastructure, in the form of fish auctioning (TPI) and floating docks.

"The construction of the floating pier was chosen because the fishing village area in Dukuh Kongsi, Purworejo Village is often surrounded by high tide so that the conventional pier is difficult to use optimally," he said in Demak, Friday, quoted by Antara.

He revealed that the budget for the construction of TPI and floating docks was actually available. Currently, the provincial government only needs to encourage the acceleration of the realization of the construction so that the benefits can be felt immediately by the community.

However, Taj Yasin emphasized the importance of proactive steps from the village government in accelerating the submission process. That way, the auction stages to physical work through the APBD can be carried out immediately.

"I ask the village to accelerate the proposal, so that we can encourage the APBJ (Procurement of Goods and Services) office to immediately auction and the work can be done immediately," he said.

The head of Purworejo Village, Rifqi Salafudin, revealed that the flood conditions in the area had reached their worst point in 2024, when almost all of the village area was submerged by high tide.

According to him, after the drainage was carried out in 2025, the condition of the puddle was indeed reduced, but when the tide was high the pier could still be submerged up to about one meter.

"Now it's still about 50 percent. If the tide rises, it can sink up to one meter," he said.

This condition has a direct impact on the economic activities of residents. Fishermen have difficulty distributing their catch to TPI because the transport vehicles cannot enter due to the flooded access.

Therefore, the public hopes that the construction of the floating pier can be realized immediately as a long-term solution for fishermen's activities.

Rifqi also hopes that the construction will not only focus on the floating pier, but also pay attention to land access protection so that four-wheeled vehicles can still reach the fish landing area.

"Floating pier technology must be accompanied by land access protection so that four-wheeled vehicles can still enter to pick up marine products. We want to know the technical details first. Don't let it just be built, but the land is getting lost," he said.

He hopes that the construction will be a real solution for coastal communities and at the same time be able to maintain the remaining village land that continues to be eroded by rob.