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Hundreds of Surakarta residents to be relocated
The Surakarta administration in Central Java plans to relocate hundreds of families living on the banks of the Gajah Putih River and Minapadi area due to frequent flooding
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he Surakarta administration in Central Java plans to relocate hundreds of families living on the banks of the Gajah Putih River and Minapadi area due to frequent flooding.
Apart from moving the families out of the flood-prone areas, the relocations will also be carried out to allow for the development of a polder in the Anyar River and spatial planning for the Tirtonadi Dam area by 2016.
Surakarta Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo said that the polder, which would be developed at the meeting point of the Gajah Putih and Pepe rivers, was expected to put a stop to flooding in the city.
'The polder will also function as a water recreation center as well as a clean water supply facility,' Rudy, as the mayor is affectionately called, said.
The polder will be developed using state and provincial funds amounting to Rp 12.5 billion. The Surakarta administration is tasked with acquiring the land needed for the development. At least 200 families live in the Minapadi area while 300 others on the Gajah Putih riverbanks.
Rudy said that the restoration of the Tirtonadi Dam would be conducted by the Bengawan Solo River Region Agency (BBWSBS).
He said he could not yet confirm when the relocations would be conducted as his administration was currently focusing on acquiring land.
Rudy also said that before relocating the families, his administration and the BBWSBS would normalize the Anyar River and develop a sluice gate on the river to prepare for floods in northern Surakarta.
'If there is a sluice gate, the water won't immediately go into the residential areas,' Rudy said.
Thousands of residents in the city were evacuated when the Bengawan Solo River overflowed after heavy downpour on Friday.
However, technical managing unit (UPT) operational section head Mucharom of the Bengawan Solo Water Resource Management in Bojonegoro, East Java, said that the water level in the Bengawan Solo River had decreased to 13.97 meters by Sunday morning.
'A day before the water level was 14.02 m ,' Mucharom was quoted by tribunnews.com as saying on Sunday.
He estimated that the water level would further decrease as floodwaters in Ngawi, East Java, as well as in the upstream area in Central Java, had continued to had receded.
