Padang (ANTARA) - The government of Padang City started cleaning 17 shipwrecks on the Batang Arau River in Padang to beautify the landscape in the area.
"For cleaning we carried out manually by bringing in special workers from Madura who will work for two weeks," said the Head of Marine and Fishery Office of Padang Guswardi in Padang on Wednesday.
According to him in the beginning there were two scenarios in cleaning the wreck, namely using a crane ship and carried out manually.
"Using a crane ship has the risk of damaging the sidewalk and manual work is safer," he said.
The workers in dismantling the wreck using a chainsaw and welding then lifted ashore, the material is transported by vehicle, he said.
He is optimistic that with the cleaning of this wreck, the Batang Arau River area will become one of the new tourist destinations such as Venice.
"Pelindo II has prepared a budget of Rp30 billion to fix the area with plans to build a pier," he said.
In cleaning the wreck, the team has formed a team to accelerate shipwreck cleaning and other waste in the Batang Arau area of 15 people.
He said for cleaning the wreck, it was in line with the expectations of the Mayor to make the Batang Arau area as the Venetian City of Padang.
In the future, he stressed the prohibition for shipowners not to allow ships that are no longer used to become carcasses in Muara.
"Actually there is a rule that ship owners must clean their own wrecks and if they are not willing they can be sanctioned," he said.
But so far, his side has written to the owners and complained that they had no money to lift the wreck so that the government was finally forced to intervene. (*)
Baca juga: Perindah kawasan, Padang mulai bersihkan 17 bangkai kapal di Batang Arau
Baca juga: Pengunjung keluhkan bangkai kapal di Muaro (video)
Editor: Mutiara Ramadhani
Translated by: Internship Student of ANTARA
Padang began cleaning 17 shipwrecks in Batang Arau
A wreck is on the banks of the Batang Arau River, Padang, W Sumatra (Antara Sumbar / Iggoy El Fitra)
