Follow-up to the Working Visit of Members of Committee II DPD RI to East Kalimantan Province (Based on the Invitation of the Regional Secretariat of East Kalimantan Province No.005/2908/EK dated 9 June 2021)
Balikpapan, 14 June 2021, 10.30 WITA. Bappeda of East Kalimantan Province, represented by the Infraswil Division, attended the working visit of members of Committee II DPD RI to East Kalimantan Province which was held in the Balikpapan City auditorium. This event was attended by 60 participants consisting of the Mayor of Balikpapan and his staff, the Regional Secretary of East Kalimantan Province, DPD RI, BWS Kalimantan IV, BPDAS Mahakam-Berau, Bappeda Prov. East Kalimantan.
The event began with remarks from the Mayor of Balikpapan, H.Rahmad Mas'ud, remarks from the Chairman of Committee II DPD RI, Yorrys Raweyai and then the event was opened by the Regional Secretary of East Kalimantan Province, H.Muhammad Sa'bani. Next was a presentation session from BWS Kalimantan IV and the East Kalimantan Watershed Management Center.
The visit was carried out in the context of monitoring the implementation of Law Number 11 of 2019 concerning Water Resources and its amendments to Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation.
Apart from that, the aim of this visit is also to hear about the problems faced regarding water resources, regarding their condition, availability and management, so that with the presence of DPD RI we can provide solutions and bridge vertical coordination issues with the Regional Government. Several points were conveyed, including that water is a classic problem, East Kalimantan Province has abundant raw water, but in fact the community still lacks clean water; The Balikpapan and Bontang city areas are surrounded by the sea, so it is natural that there is a shortage of clean water. In contrast to the condition of Samarinda City, which passes through the Mahakam River, it still experiences a shortage of clean water; Regarding the fulfillment of raw water availability in Balikpapan City, there are 3 (three) physical developments by BWS Kalimantan IV which are currently in progress, namely: Aji Raden Dam, Teritip Dam and Sepaku Semoi Dam; In Balikpapan City, BWS Kalimantan IV has carried out several treatments on the Ampal river, namely downstream treatment activities at the river mouth, by opening the estuary channel so that there are no water obstacles from upstream. However, the central region is still waiting for solutions to social problems because there are still many people living along the riverbanks; The city of Balikpapan is included in the flood management of 3 cities which is the Governor's priority program.
Furthermore, the East Kalimantan Provincial Government is ready to provide support and collaborate with the PUPR Ministry and other central agencies, referring to the Job Creation Law, by involving the private sector in building clean water facilities. Following up on this, Committee II DPD RI will hold a coordination meeting with the PUPR Ministry and other related Ministries to bring the results of this working visit in the near future.
(HumasBappeda/Fajar).
