Semarang Flooded, City Government Asks For Pumps To PUPR For Management

Floods submerged Jalan Kaligawe, Semarang City, Sunday 1 January 2023. (ANTARA-Wisnu Adhi)

The Semarang City Government (Pemkot) submitted a request for additional pumps to the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono for flood prevention.

"Yesterday, we conveyed to the Minister of PUPR to be able to increase the capacity of pumps at the Tenggang and Sringin River Pump Houses," said Semarang Mayor Hevearita Gunaryanti Rahayu, in Semarang, Thursday, November 30, as reported by Antara.

Ita, Hevearita's nickname, said that she had submitted a direct request to the Minister of PUPR regarding the water discharge in the two rivers and the insufficient pump capacity.

"We also convey that the current rainy conditions in the water discharge in the catchment area of the Tenggang and Sringin Rivers are very large," he said.

During the flood some time ago, he said, the condition of the Tenggang Pump House out of a total of 6 units was damaged and at the Sringin Pump House out of a total of 5 units there were two damaged conditions.

"Alhamdulillah, the Minister of PUPR responded very well and immediately provided assistance," said the first woman to become the Mayor of Semarang.

According to him, intensive coordination and communication with various parties continues to be carried out by the Semarang City Government in an effort to deal with flood problems, especially those that occur in Kaligawe and Muktiharjo Kidul.

Various preventive, coordinative, monitoring and evaluation steps, as well as implementation in the field, he said, were carried out with related parties, including the Public Works Agency (DPU), the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Sungai Basin Center (BBWS) Pemali Juana, the National Road Implementation Center (BBPJN), and the Ministry of PUPRt.

"We continue to communicate and coordinate with all related parties and those affected by this inundation. We hope that all technical and non-technical challenges can be resolved more quickly and no party will be harmed," he said.

Meanwhile, Head of Water Resources and Drainage Division of Semarang City DPU Mochamad Hisam Ashari said that cross-sectoral support and cooperation were needed to solve non-technical challenges in the field.

He gave an example of dredging sediment along the Kaligawe channel, which must be carried out and carried out extra carefully, given the presence of gas pipes at that location.

"Alhamdulillah, we were also accompanied and escorted by friends from the State Gas Company (PGN) to clean the canals in Kaligawe, while with PT KAI and DLH to clean the canals along Muktiharjo Raya which were covered with hyacinth and wild plants," he said.