TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan met with Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo today at the City Hall to discuss measures against flooding in the capital.
Dahlan said his ministry planned to construct four reservoirs in the upstream areas of the Ciliwung River in Bogor, West Java to reduce the risk of flooding from the river’s overflow.
“These reservoirs will also provide clean water,” Dahlan said after signing a cooperation treaty on flood mitigation at the City Hall today, Wednesday, October 2, 2013. Dahlan, who came to the City Hall in grey batik shirt, said the total funds earmarked for the reservoir construction reached Rp4-5 trillion.
Dahlan opined it was impossible to stem floods in the capital by relying only on flood mitigation measures in downstream areas, such as river restoration. He said upstream areas as the water source also required immediate handling. Dahlan said the construction of the reservoirs would kick off next year.
Jokowi said barricaded upstream areas would lessen the flow of water in the rainy season by 30 percent. “Talks on the construction of the reservoirs have lasted for long,” he said.
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