Palembang City Government Searches For Solutions To Overcome Floods In Settlements, From Dredging Sediments To Retention Pools

PALEMBANG - The Palembang City Government, South Sumatra continues to look for solutions to overcome the problem of flooding or standing water when heavy rains fall for a long time or more than an hour.

"To find solutions to the flood problem, information from city residents continues to be explored and flood control programs are prepared," said Palembang Regional Secretary Ratu Dewa after visiting flood-prone residential areas in Palembang as reported by ANTARA, Friday, April 28.

According to him, to overcome the flood problem, each residential area needs different handling.

Several areas are handled by widening channels and dredging sediments using heavy equipment and repairing waterway walls.

Then there are areas that need pump equipment to flow puddles, and some require retention ponds or rainwater absorption.

Regarding the retention pond, this city needs more of these ponds than those already around residential areas today.

According to the results of the team's study, this city ideally has 100-120 retention ponds, while currently there are only 46 retention ponds.

To meet the ideal needs of the retention pond, the Palembang City Government in 2023 for the next few years has programmed the addition of dozens of retention ponds.

To build a retention pond requires considerable financial support to reach tens of billions of rupiah.

If you rely on the Palembang City Government APBD funds, which are limited in number, it will be difficult to realize the construction of retention ponds according to the target in a short time.

As an effort to accelerate the construction of retention ponds or rainwater absorption in a number of flood-prone areas as targeted, his party hopes for assistance from the South Sumatra Provincial Government and the central government.