VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Welcome back to the segment of My Indonesia over RRI World Service -Voice of Indonesia. Today, we’ll present you a topic about the Indonesian Government Seriously Recovers Citarum River.

The Indonesian government seriously restores condition and environment along the Basin of Citarum River. Citarum River is located in West Java and flows eight districts and cities. Citarum River as the longest river in West Java is a source of water for three large reservoirs. The damage in the Citarum River basin reaches 8 hundred thousand hectares. Uncontrolled problems of industrial waste, agriculture, livestock, and households have also damaged the water quality. As a result, the water cannot be consumed. Pollution and serious sedimentation also occur up to the downstream of the river.

President Joko Widodo held a limited meeting on the revitalization of Citarum River in Bandung on Tuesday (16/1). The President requested that the recovery of the Citarum River should be done quickly and should be completed within 7 years. He asked all central and regional governments to work together, because the river management must be integrated, starting from the preparation of the concept, implementation, to the supervision in the field.

Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs, Luhut Pandjaitan has targeted, the water of Citarum River can be consumed in the next 5 to 10 years. The government is ready to spend trillions of rupiah from the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget and Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget. He views that the Government of West Java province cannot solve the Citarum River problem alone and it needs synergy. Therefore, President Joko Widodo will soon issue a Presidential Regulation.

Minister Luhut Panjaitan said in a press release in Jakarta on Wednesday that at an early stage, the government will start rehabilitating the forests and inviting both civilian and military leaders in their respective regions to call  for all communities to tackle this issue together. The Citarum River will be divided into 22 sectors and high-ranking TNI officials are demanded to coordinate with environmental experts, lawyers, humanists, students and the whole community.

Previously, the Regional Military Command -Kodam III/Siliwangi has initiated the revitalization of the Citarum River since early 2018, by cleaning from upstream to downstream area. Head of Information of Kodam III / Siliwangi Colonel Dessy Arianto explained, the Citarum upstream area was done with a greening movement, on an area of 690 thousand hectares. Therefore, it takes 121 million trees. In 1 to 6 months, they plan to restore the area by cleaning up garbage, reducing sedimentation and building communal toilets. 

Commander of Regional Military III/Siliwangi, Doni Monardo also conveyed his presentation before the entrepreneurs related to the revitalization of Citarum River on Friday 12/1. 

A number of entrepreneurs have expressed their commitment to participate in the recovery of Citarum River ecosystem. Various forms of contribution will be accommodated through a foundation which will be established, especially related to the recovery of Citarum River. On that occasion, hundreds of entrepreneurs from various regions were invited to discuss about the recovery issues. A number of businesspeople then agreed to distribute relief funds amounting to Rp20 billion. 

That was My Indonesia.