Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - South Kalimantan Provincial Government held a coordination meeting with the Environment Ministry to find solution to the problems of pollution and damage to Martapura River.
The Regional Secretary of the Province Roy Rizali Anwar discussed the problems with Acting Director General of Environmental Damage and Control (PKLH) of the Ministry of Environment Sigit Reliantoro in Banjarbaru, Monday.
South Kalimantan Governor Muhidin had attended the coordination meeting, which was then chaired by the Provincial Secretary and acting director general.
Roy said Martapura River has great history and is still a means of transportation and cultural development which has given rise to the floating markets becoming an icon of South Kalimantan.
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Martapura River which is also a source of raw water for clean and drinking water for the people of Banjarmasin city, Banjarbaru City, Banjar District, and Barito Kuala District, as well as being a source of irrigation for agriculture in the surroundidng area.
He said Martapura River is a source of life for the people of "Banua" or South Kalimantan, but the water quality is decreasing and has the potential to be polluted due to various activities on riverbanks.
"Based on this facts, we need to restore and control the damage and pollution to Martapura River as a legacy source of life for our future children and gandchildren," said Roy.
The Safe, Clean, Neat, and Beautiful Martapura River (ASRI) program, which has been implemented to date, he pointed out, ia a cross-sector collaborative action to restore the function, value, and beauty of the river since it was launched on June 5, 2021.
Based on monitoring in 24 location points, the provincial government obtained the results showing that Martapura River had "lightly polluted" status according to class II water quality standards.
Roy added that a total of 19 points had experienced a decrease in the pollution index value in 2024 compared to 2023 period.
He appreciated all elements of society, activist groups, business circles, women figures, ounger generation, academics, journalistss and bureacratic ranks in the regions and the field regarding the decrease in the Martapura River pollution index value.
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