Walhi Values The Need For Drainage Restructuring To Prevent The Expansion Of Bandar Lampung Floods

Floods in Hajimena Village, South Lampung, Saturday, February 24. (ANTARA-Riadi Gunawan)

JAKARTA - The Forum for the Environment (Walhi) assesses the need for restructuring the drainage system to prevent the spread of flood points in Bandar Lampung City. "In addition to river normalization, to anticipate the expansion and addition of flood points, there must be a restructuring of the drainage system. Because the current drainage of the 1980-1990s is too old," said Walhi Lampung Regional Executive Director Irfan Tri Musri in Bandar Lampung, Sunday, February 25. He said, with the drainage that is quite old in Bandar Lampung City, it is not comparable to the current increase in population density. "The quality, carrying capacity, water capacity in the drainage is currently different from the beginning because it is getting denser and denser. So it is certain that the water intensity is increasing, while the drainage is unable to accommodate it, so there needs to be restructuring," he said. He explained, in addition to restructuring drainage, the city government must also regulate waste management properly, in order to prevent blockage in the drainage.

"The waste management system must be improved to minimize garbage empties in the river and clog drainage. This is done to prevent repeated flood events," he said.

According to him, the floods that occurred at 11 points in Bandarlampung City on Saturday, February 24, became flooded with sufficient intensity compared to the floods that occurred in previous years. "A dozen locations that were affected by the flood last night were often flooded areas, but what happened last night was much larger than in previous years. In fact, the area began to expand to areas where there was never a flood, this should be the government's attention to take mitigation steps so as not to expand further," he said. He detailed that eleven flood-affected locations in Bandarlampung City include the Ragom Gawi Housing, Kemiling District, Rajabasanyai District Rajabasa District, Jalan Lintas Sumatra Hajimena, the back area of the Lampung State Polytechnic (Polinela) Rajabasa District.

Areas around the University of Teknokrat, Labuhan Ratu District, Gang Cuek, Way Halim Permai area, Way Halim District, the area around Urip Sumoharjo Hospital, Persada Kalibalau Gang, Karunia Indah Housing, Sukabumi District, Hayam Wuruk Street, Simak District, precisely around Andre washing to Campang Raya, and Yos Sudarso Bay Betung Street. "The locations affected by these floods are indeed geographically not far from the river, so there must be seriousness to deal with flooding both in the short term or in the long term based on facts in the field and the aspirations of the affected communities," he said.