Bobby Nasution Ensures Drainage Development Overcoming Medan Floods Will Be Completed Soon

Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution is reviewing the installation of concrete drainage in Medan, North Sumatra. (ANTARA/HO-Diskominfo Medan City)

The Mayor of Medan, North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution said that the progress of drainage development to overcome the flood problem had reached 92 percent.

"Thus, in 2023 there will be only 86 inundation points left, which we will complete in 2023," said Bobby in Medan, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, July 6.

Bobby Nasution said the drainage repair program collaborated with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR).

"For example, the project to work on the tidal embankment in Belawan, in addition to the construction of the drainage, is to reduce the flood point with the Ministry of PUPR," he explained.

Then, Bobby continued, efforts to overcome this flood were followed by the normalization of the Bedera River and Selayang River, the construction of the Sei Sikambing-Sei Belawan canal and several other programs.

The Mayor of Medan instructed the Medan City Department of Water Resources and Construction Development (SDABMBK) to build a retention pond next to Griya Martubung Housing, Besar Village.

Data from the Medan City SDABMBK Service stated that the construction of the first phase of the retention pond had been completed last year, including the 10-hectare concrete fencing which is now installed.

Meanwhile, the second phase of work at Lake Laguna was an artificial lake in the 1990s at the same time as the construction of Griya Martubung Housing touched 4.2 percent.

"This is done to overcome the problem of flooding in the northern part of Medan, especially in Medan Labuhan," he said.

In addition to the retention pond in Medan Labuhan District, a retention pond will also be built in Medan Selayang District to deal with flooding in the local area.

The two retention ponds are located on the campus of the University of North Sumatra (USU) Medan which is estimated to cost around Rp. 20 billion, and Jalan Harmonika Baru amounting to Rp. 30 billion.

"This development is to optimize the entry of water flow into the retention pond. For smooth development, support from relevant stakeholders is needed," said Bobby.