The Ministry Of PUPR Has Transformed The Martapura River Slum Area Into A Tourist Location

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The Ministry of PUPR reorganized the West Kelayan slum area around the Martapura River, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, to improve environmental quality and turn the location into a tourist destination.

PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the arrangement of the West Kelayan area was a good example of collaboration between various parties, especially between the PUPR Ministry and the Banjarmasin City Government.

"The goal is to change this slum area so that it is no longer slum. We, the PUPR Ministry, are helping the mayor to organize the area, this is a very good collaboration," said Minister Basuki in his statement, Monday, August 15.

The arrangement of the West Kelayan slum area has been started since the contract on April 20, 2020 and has been completed on December 10, 2021. The infrastructure support provided by the Ministry of PUPR covers a slum area of 15.26 hectares with a APBN budget of Rp. 44 billion.

For the work itself, activities are carried out in the form of structuring Green Open Space (RTH), construction of environmental roads, pile slab siring, drainage repairs, work on drop off areas, plazas, amphitheaters, mini futsal fields, regional gates, and parking areas, toilets, and processing installations. Wastewater (WWTP).

The West Kelayan area is one of the slum areas that has been determined through the Banjarmasin Mayor's Decree. The main problems of the area include the poor orderliness of the buildings located on the banks of the river, and the lack of optimal sanitation and accessibility systems.

Handling is carried out with a collaborative approach to reduce slum aspects in densely populated locations in order to change the face of the area and generate economic opportunities that are in line with livable settlements.

In the area, the Self-Help Housing Stimulant Assistance program (BSPS) or popularly known as house renovation was also distributed to reduce the number of uninhabitable houses (RTLH).

Head of the South Kalimantan BPPW, Teuku Davis Hamid, said that in the development of the West Kelayan area there was collaboration from the Banjarmasin City Government in the form of land acquisition which was originally a slum area on the banks of the Martapura River with a cost of around Rp. 30 billion.

"In 2018 the Directorate General of Housing Provision built the 4-storey Teluk Kelayan Flats, type 36 with a total of 58 units, where most of the residents came from residents affected by the Kelayan land acquisition," said Teuku Davis Hamid as quoted by Antara.