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Relocation for people living in Langsa watershed to overcome floods

Langsa, Ekuatorial – Langsa administration planned to relocate people living in Langsa watershed areas to overcome floods coming every year, said Iskandar Syukri, head of Langsa Disaster Mitigation Agency, on Thursday (5/3), in Langsa.

“Normalizing Langsa river will not solve the problem. It is much efficient to elevate embankments and construct concrete embankments permanently which is why watershed areas must be cleared from housing areas,” said Syukri adding they will relocate residents to Timbang Langsa village located three kilometers from downtown of Langsa.

Meanwhile, for embankments elevation and construction, he added, it will be done in Sidorjo village, Gampong Jawa Belakang village, Tanjung Putus hamlet, and Pondok Pabrik Kebun Lama village.

“The plan had been concluded two years ago, especially for people living in settlements in the banks of Langsa river,” he said adding that the government had allocated Rp 8.6 billion (US$ 653,184) and 50 hectares of land to built schools and cooking oil factory in Timbang Langsa village.

In addition, people living in slums areas, especially in Blang Pase village, would be relocated as the four hectares area were planned to become city park.

The budget allocated for the relocation is Rp 2.8 billion (US$ 212,664) from Special Allocation Budget of public works and people’s housing ministry.

Abdullah, a resident living the watershed confirmed on the relocation plan.

“I do not oppose to be relocated as long as there’s no discrimination meaning that all people living in watershed areas must be relocated. I am worried that people with permanent house and relatives of local officials will not be relocated,” he said on Friday (6/3).

He said that regulations must also be clear because people living in Gampong Jawa Belakang watershed have been relocated in the past but people started to come back and even allowed to built permanent house.

Dahniar, chair of Cakra Donya also supported the mitigation plan. “Relocation is good but it needs to consider and think about people’s livelihood after being relocated. Don’t cost them their jobs because new location is too far away from their workplace,” said Dahniar adding that people relocated were poor people. Ivo Lestari

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