Caltex agrees to widen the Mengkapan river

PT Caltex Pasific Indonesia (CPI) has bowed to the residents' demand to widen and deepen the Mengkapan river in the district of Sungaiapit, Siak regency to curb floods, which often hit the area.

The company, however, refused to build a new canal at the two sides of the river as demanded by the residents, who complained that the river, which was built by the company to prevent floods in its mining sites, had often caused floods to their residential areas.

The decision to improve and clean the river was made after a team comprising of Caltex officials and local government offices visited the site and talked with the villagers recently. "But, if the floods still continue even after the river is widened, we will then take the second alternative, that is to build a new canal in the two sides of the river," a Caltex executive said. (*)