Prabowo Appoints Defense University To Work On Project Pilots For Stage Houses And Floating In Pantura

Defense Minister Prabowo (photo: dock. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Defense (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto said that he could not accept that there were still many people in the northern coastal area (Pantura) of Java who were threatened with drowning as the soil surface continued to erode every year.

Therefore, Prabowo said that he had given the task and instructed the Defense University (IDU) to carry out a pilot project in creating a floating cheap house model along with the giant sea embankment or Giant Sea Wall project on the island of Java.

"So I assign the Defense University which is under my responsibility to conduct an assessment to pilot project making cheap settlements in areas submerged in water," Prabowo said while attending a protection strategy event for the Java Island area through the construction of coastal embankments and sea wall embankments (Giant sea wall) in the grand ballroom kempinski, Wednesday 10 January.

In addition, he assessed that this assignment was given because the construction of a giant sea embankment could not be completed in a short time so that the construction of a house on stilts and floating could overcome the difficulties of people facing high water level challenges.

Prabowo said the construction of Giant Sea Wall will take about 40 years to come so that a strong commitment from the government and political leaders is needed to continue and determine the project.

"Maybe, if we say we start massive development, let's say the next 3-4 years, maybe we won't see the completion of Giant Sea Wall. Giant Sea Wall's success may be realized in 25-30 years, even 40 years to come," he said.

Prabowo said that the construction of this cheap house project will use two types, namely the first stage house to anticipate land subsidence in cities in Pantura up to 25 cm per year.

"One, the houses on stage are the wisdom of our ancestors. If it was 25 cm a year, it means that 20 years 500 cm. It means that this stage must be able to be above that high inundation," he explained.

Furthermore, the second type is the floating pattern of cheap houses with the help of PT PAL Indonesia, PT LEN Industri (Persero) and engineer technicians from the Defense University, having found a floating cheap house prototype with a value of Rp130 million per unit.

"It includes solar panels, septic tanks. So that he can live off the grid without depending on PLN, and he can live in clean sanitation with modern technology bayou, microbes and so on," he added.

Prabowo said that the construction of the floating cheap house prototype had carried out a similar program and had even budgeted Rp. 20 million more for the construction of one house.

"We have started the prototype. For this reason, I have given the budget, their planning is good IDR 130 million, I made it, I have, I give you a budget of more than IDR 150 million," he said.

"We have been Indonesians for a long time, this Indonesian culture likes to mark up-mark ups, all of a sudden, I just give the polling, which is legal. So he doesn't have to cheat," said Prabowo.

Prabowo said that the construction of the floating house was only temporary before the Java Sea Embankment project was completed.

"When they are finished, we will move them. So our fishermen, those who live from the sea, from Pantura, live decently as citizens, honorable nations," he said.