Considered Ineffective, DKI DPRD Reduces 62 Percent Of Infiltration Well Budget 2022

ILLUSTRATION OF VOI DOC/DKI Jakarta DPRD Building

JAKARTA - Secretary of Commission D of the DKI DPRD, Syarif said that his party cut 62 percent of the DKI Provincial Government's budget proposal for the procurement of infiltration wells in the 2022 DKI APBD Draft.

This budget reduction was carried out after five factions of the DKI DPRD asked DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to evaluate the infiltration well program that had been made so far because it was considered less effective in controlling floods.

"The budget for infiltration wells has been reduced from Rp322 billion, with only Rp120 billion remaining," said Syarif when met at the DKI DPRD building, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, November 23.

Syarif revealed that the budget cuts for the construction of infiltration wells next year will be carried out in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the DKI Provincial Government's regional income is still in deficit due to the economic condition that has not fully recovered due to the pandemic.

Regarding the assumption that infiltration wells are less effective, Syarif was reluctant to comment. Because, according to him, the party who deserves to assess the effectiveness of infiltration wells is the person who is an expert in their field.

"At the (DPRD) meetings they say a lot of things, they are not effective. Yes, it is okay for people to have opinions, but please prove it technically and scientifically," said Syarif.

Syarif said that the diversion of the infiltration well budget, which was cut by around Rp. 202 billion, will one of them be used to purchase heavy equipment that functions as a garbage pump.

"The cut budget is redistributed to the Department of Water Resources (SDA), for example the spider excavator which can be used under bridges has increased by 40 units. That is expensive, the other is Rp. 14 billion if I'm not mistaken," explained Syarif.

Previously, five factions in the DKI Jakarta DPRD asked DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to evaluate the infiltration well development program in Anies' last year in office.

This was conveyed in the general view of the DPRD faction on the draft regional regulation of DKI concerning the 2022 budget year, last November 16.

The five factions are PDIP, PSI, Nasdem, Golkar, and PKB-PPP. Meanwhile, the other four factions namely Gerindra, PKS, PAN, and Democrats did not mention the infiltration well program.