Wave breaker of Bengkulu port collapses
Bengkulu (ANTARA News) – Newly built wave breaker of Bengkulu port facing the Indian Ocean has collapsed hit by big waves and strong winds.
The 100 meter wave breaker built at a cost of Rp14.5 billion and was only officially commission last month collapsed on natural disaster not because of defect in construction, Pieter HB Fina, the Pulau Bai port administrator said here on Wednesday.
The contractor, however, is still responsible for rebuilding the breakwater as it is still under its maintenance.
The breakwater has been built mainly to prevent abrasion of forested land around the port basin .
The forested land protecting the port from the open sea was originally around 1,000 meter long but now it is only more than 10 meters left.
The port basin, therefore, is more exposed to big waves from the Indian Ocean.
The plan is to build a 2,000 meter breakwater but the budget available in 2012 was enough only for 300 meter long concrete breakwater .
The rest is to be built in 2013, Pieter said.
High technology and experienced contractor are needed to built the remaining part of the project, he said.
A member of the regional legislative assembly M Sis Rahman said the project should be awarded to state port operator Pelabuhan Indonesia.
Port administrator is responsible only for security and supervision of the port , Rahman said.
“I hope port administrator does not have to be involved in technical matter of port development,” he said, adding the port administrator already failed in dredging the port basin earlier.
(AS)
Source: http://www.antaranews.com/