REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- The Surabaya city government has cleared land along the Kali Lamong river to build dikes and to widen the river.

Head of the public works, highway construction, maintenance and drainage department of Surabaya city, Erna Purnawati, said here on Wednesday that nearly 90 percent of the land, a 15-kilometer stretch along the river, formerly belonged to village administrations.

"In essence, there is no problem with the land. So the construction of dikes and the normalization of the river can be started," she affirmed.

The land in Tambakdono, Pakal sub-district, covers an area of 172 hectares, which can be used to build dikes and to widen the river, she stated.

Moreover, the construction of the dikes is the responsibility of the central government.

"Based on the distribution of authority, the city government is only responsible for clearing the land and supporting the normalization of the river. But as the need for dikes is urgent, the city government has to build them as well," Purnawati explained.

She added that the city government has made an effort to establish good communication with the central government, to get the river normalization project realized.

Since 2010, the government of Surabaya has written to the public works ministry and the East Java government six times, asking for assistance to normalize the river.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika