Businessmen Donate Billions of Rupiah to Clean Up Citarum River
Jakarta. A number of high-profile businessmen donated Rp 20 billion ($1.5 million) to help clean up the Citarum River in West Java, BeritaSatu.com reported on Saturday (13/01).
The donations were given to the Citarum Harum Foundation through Maj. Gen. Doni Monardo, commander of Siliwangi military district of command, which oversees West Java and Banten, on Friday in Bandung.
The donors include Dato Sri Tahir of Mayapada Group and Tahir Foundation, Ted Sioeng from Sioengs Group, Hendro Gondokusumo from Intiland and Benny Tjokro from Hanson.
The donations are in line with the government's plan to revitalize the Citarum, which, according to Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, is the world’s second most polluted river.
In Jakarta on Friday, Luhut held a meeting with related parties to discuss a revitalization plan for the river following direct instructions from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in December last year.
The government has rushed to clean up the Citarum River after a dangerous pathogen with the ability to resist antibiotics was discovered in the 269 km long river that lies in West Java.
The river serves as the main source for the Cirata, Jatiluhur and Saguling reservoirs, which irrigate 400,000 hectares of rice fields along its banks.
The river is also the source of the largest hydropower plant in Southeast Asia -- the Cirata power plant produces 1,400 megawatts of hydropower to Java and Bali.
The government plans to implement the new plan to revitalize the Citarum by next month.
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