TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama revealed that the Jakarta administration once set a budget and self-management fund to clean water canals.
“It could surpass Rp1 trillion,” Ahok said Friday, March 4, 2016.
A few days ago, besides discovering cables clogging water canals at Jalan Merdeka Selatan, the Jakarta administration also unveiled mud deposits at Jalan Merdeka Utara. “The canals have not been cleaned for a long time,” said Ahok.
To unclog the canals, the regional government formed an Infrastructure and Public Facility Integrated Service (PPSU) since May 2015. The team has started the work since June. There are at least 1,086 water canals in Jakarta.
The Jakarta administration will be using the fund from self-management. “We seek a way. It’s difficult if we use funds from private sectors and contractors. So we formed our own team. We do it ourself,” said Ahok.
The cleaning of the canals will be done gradually. Ahok said that since the forming of PPSU, flood in several spots in Jakarta are getting better. “There are not too many massive floods. Generally, the flood quickly recedes,” he said.
LARISSA HUDA
