Becoming the First Modern City in Indonesia, Kuala Kencana Contributes
05 December 2023
Timika – Kuala Kencana City, which was founded by PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) on December 5 1995 in an area of 17,078 hectares in the Mimika Regency area, Central Papua, is the first modern city in Indonesia to be built in the middle of a tropical forest. The city, which was built to support company operations and support the development of the city of Timika, was built with the concept of an "environmentally friendly city".
The presence of Kuala Kencana gives a different feel to Mimika residents. Entering the Kuala Kencana area, we are presented with a neat natural atmosphere. There are no cables or electricity poles criss-crossing, everything is neatly embedded underground. On either side of the road you can see trees that are part of the original tropical forest. Flora and fauna are treated as invaluable city assets. This biodiversity is guarded by local residents and closely monitored by special officers.
In the city center, there are office buildings, public and social facilities, and places of worship. In the middle of the city center, a statue designed by Nyoman Nuarta which has become the icon of the city of Kuala Kencana stands proudly in the middle of the square. Not only residents who live in Kuala Kencana, Timika residents can also enjoy and feel the benefits of the presence of this city.
PTFI General Superintendent Facilities Management Samsul Arifin explained that the city of Kuala Kencana has always made a positive contribution to the development of Timika since it was founded until it was 28 years old. One of the real contributions of the city of Kuala Kencana to the people of Mimika Regency is the presence of a Water Treatment Plant (WTP) which was inaugurated by the Regent of Mimika, Dr. Eltinus Omaleng, SE., M. Hum. in October 2023 as an effort to provide clean water facilities for the people of Timika.
The WTP worth 10 million US dollars or 150 billion rupiah is a collaboration between PTFI and the Regional Government (Pemda) of Mimika Regency. Currently, this facility is in the trial phase and will provide clean water to support improving the quality of life of Timika City residents.
Kuala Kencana City has successfully combined elements of environmental sustainability and the needs of today's life. Apart from that, Kuala Kencana was also used as a benchmark for the development of the Indonesian Capital City (IKN) in East Kalimantan and was the location for marathon races and brisk walking during the XX National Sports Week (PON) in Papua.
"Until now, we continue to manage Kuala Kencana well as a modern mining city in Eastern Indonesia. "We hope that the presence of Kuala Kencana can always contribute positively, and can even have an even bigger impact in the future," said Samsul.
Another important fact is that Kuala Kencana has a waste control and waste management system that is monitored regularly. Through this system, Kuala Kencana has succeeded in minimizing the number of malaria cases because the city atmosphere is clean. "We are working with Public Health & Malaria Control (PHMC) to prevent the development of malaria mosquitoes in our area," explained Samsul.
Samsul Arifin also said that the residential concept built in Kuala Kencana combines modern and natural elements, "This city was built to blend with nature while maintaining lots of green open space." Samsul also revealed that one of the interesting things when traveling around this city is that there are still many things to discover Various native Papuan fauna live wild in this city, such as birds of paradise, king cockatoos, hornbills, black-headed parrots, cuscuses and cassowaries.
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