City Government Normalizes Rivers Overcoming Seasonal Floods In Ambon

Illustration of floods (ANTARA)

AMBON - The Ambon City Government in Maluku Province normalized the Water Salak River in Waiheru Village, Baguala District, to deal with seasonal flooding around these watersheds. Acting Mayor of Ambon Bodew Wattimena, said that the silting of the Water Salak River made the river often overflow and flood the surrounding areas, especially in the rainy season. "The flooding that occurred throughout the year was caused by river silting, the effect of mining activities in excavation C located in the upstream part," he said, quoted by ANTARA, Monday, May 15. In order to overcome the problem of silting the Water Salak River, the Ambon City Government deployed heavy equipment to dredge deposits in the river.Bodewin stated that river normalization would be followed by making agreements with mining business actors to dredging river deposits every three months.

The Ambon City Government has also mobilized mining businesses, village governments, and residents to participate in efforts to maintain the cleanliness of watersheds. "We hope that the community's participation in cleaning will be coordinated by two village heads in Nania and Waiheru villages," said Bodewin.