Governor calls to improve sanitation facilities in Palembang

Palembang, S Sumatra (ANTARA Sumsel) - South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin has urged the Palembang city government to improve the surrounding sanitation facilities in preparation for hosting the Asian Games 2018.

"Sanitation and hygiene are the main assets of a region to attract tourists," Governor Noerdin remarked while inaugurating Deputy Mayor of Palembang Fitrianti Agustinda here on Wednesday.

He highlighted the need to improve sanitation facilities as Palembang will host the international sporting event of the Asian Games in 2018 in which athletes and guests from some 45 countries are expected to participate.

"This means many foreign tourists will visit Palembang City to attend the international games," the governor remarked, adding that when guests from 45 countries arrive at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II airport, they will also look at the sanitation facilities available in the city.

As the host city of the Asian Games, Palembang must have good sanitation facilities and be clean, and this must be the focus of attention of the city government, the governor noted.

He pointed out that some areas in Palembang were not clean, and therefore, the city government should pay attention to this aspect.

Currently, sanitation facilities in Palembang City are still inadequate, hence improvements should be made in all its areas.

As is visible along the stream of Musi River, the people`s sanitation levels are still far from expected. People continue to defecate in the open, and the existing lavatories are not in good condition and lack septic tanks.

The residents of the city should have access to clean water, and the city must be committed to improving the sanitation practices followed by its citizens related to the handling of drainage, sewage, and garbage.