CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT SITU GINTUNG DIKE TOO SLOW

Tangerang, Banten, June, 28 (ANTARA) - Banten Governor Atut Chosiyah said the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Situ Gintung dam in Ciputat, South Tangerang, Banten, has been too slow, and the condition caused worry to the people living near and around the man-make lake.

"The reconstruction of the project is progressing too sluggishly not like the central government has promised to accelerate the work," Atut said in Tangerang, Sunday.

She said, quoting Vice President Jusuf Kalla the other day, the collapsed Situ Gintung dike which had caused the life of more than 100 people, will be closed permanently.

She also said that it appears that the building of a permanent dike by the public works ministry and the Ciliwung-Cisadane River Center, still need a comprehensive study on the location and water debit of the project.

The local public are now worried that the disaster will re-occur in view of the heavy rains in the past few days, she added.

In the meantime, South Tangerang Mayor HM Shaleh assured that the building of the permanent dike would be completed by the end of this year.

The Situ Gintung tragedy which occured on March 27, 2009 killed about 100 lives, hundreds of others injured, and hundred of houses were seriously damaged. ***3***
(H-NG/B/b003/B003).