Jokowi Checks Construction Of Flood Control Embankment In Sintang

President Jokowi/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo directly inspected the construction of a flood control embankment in Ladang sub-district, Sintang district, West Kalimantan.

"We are reviewing infrastructure development in order to overcome flooding, this in the short term is by making embankments from geotubes filled with sand which we hope in the short term can reduce existing flooding," he said, at the embankment location, Sintang, West Kalimantan, quoted by Antara. , Wednesday, December 8th.

Floods in Sintang district are known to occur on October 21, 2021 and last for about a month after extreme rains poured so that the water debit of the Kapuas and Melawi rivers overflowed. It was recorded that more than 124,000 people were affected by the flood.

A geotube or geotextile tube is a large tubular bag made of a porous, weather-resistant geotextile and filled with sediment, such as sand or slurry to form a dune or artificial embankment.

Jokowi explained that the flood occurred due to a number of factors. "First, there is extreme rain, but secondly, what we need to address is the damage to the watershed (DAS), the damage to the rain catchment area," he said.

Therefore, the president asked for replanting in watersheds and rain catchment areas around the Kapuas River and Melawi River.

"Planting trees, reforestation of areas around the Kapuas River and Melawi River. I hope that this will improve water catchment areas, improve watersheds, especially in upstream areas," he continued.

Jokowi ordered the Ministry of Environment and Forestry as well as large private companies in West Kalimantan to establish seed nurseries. "So that reforestation can really work, then there was also a handover of assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs for those affected," he said.

In the medium term, the government through the Ministry of PUPR will also carry out a number of flood control efforts, such as dredging the lake and structuring the drainage system in the Kapuas River to compiling a major flood control plan in the Kapuas River area.

Meanwhile, in the long term, the government will build the Pinoh River Dam and carry out periodic maintenance of rivers and lakes in the Kapuas River area.

After inspecting the flood control embankment, the President headed to the yard of the Sintang Regional Health Detachment and witnessed the handing over of aid in the form of a public kitchen car and an inflatable boat. In addition, social assistance for the community was also handed over to 10 recipient representatives symbolically.