Thekabarnews.com—The Pontianak City Administration is seriously preparing new cemetery land in several districts as a solution to the increasingly limited burial space. This initiative is due to the increasing population of the city.

“The process of procuring land for new public cemeteries has actually started last year and continues throughout 2026,” said Pontianak Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono.

He said the city administration has secured several land points and is ready to process them into public burial facilities.

“This process has been ongoing since last year. We started the land procurement process then, and it continues this year. Currently we have several land points. We will process them for the cemetery,” said Edi Kamtono after attending a plenary meeting at the Pontianak City Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), Wednesday, April 29.

The provision of land for cemeteries also became one of the main recommendations from the Pontianak City DPRD in its assessment of the Mayor’s 2025 Accountability Report (LKPJ).

The city government’s initial mapping identifies North Pontianak, South Pontianak, West Pontianak, and East Pontianak as possible cemetery sites.

Edi Kamtono stated that land availability has started to improve. However, the city is still looking at the best management system for the new cemeteries.

The administration must decide whether it wants to manage the burial sites itself. Alternatively, it can pass them on to local communities. Or it can have them managed by religious organizations.

“We will look into it further. Whatever we do, whether we hand it over to the community, religious institutions, or the government, we have to carefully determine the institutional system,” Edi Kamtono said.

In addition to cemetery planning, the Pontianak City administration also promised to follow up on all DPRD recommendations related to the 2025 accountability report.

“We give recommendations to some strategic sectors, including road infrastructure, flood control, and waterlogging control. There are also efforts to increase regional original income (PAD),” Edi Kamtono added.

Edi Kamtono emphasized that all regional government working organizations (OPD) have received their evaluation notes and should respond accordingly.

The Public Works Office has been instructed to prioritize drainage and flood-prone areas. Meanwhile, the Regional Earnings Agency (Bapenda) will maximize the potential of local income to finance development programs.

Pontianak City DPRD Deputy Speaker Yoggy Perdana Putra said the recommendations were the result of in-depth discussions with experts and academics.

The legislature also tackled city maintenance issues such as old trees and urban flooding. In addition, it discussed cemetery land, he said.

“There are some key points, especially around local revenue raising. Our focus also includes flood management and the condition of aging trees throughout the city,” Yoggy stated.

The officials hoped that closer coordination between the executive and legislative branches would improve the performance of governance. This would also strengthen public services for Pontianak residents.

The plan of the city administration for the new cemetery is a response to the continuing pressure on land availability due to urban growth. It seeks to anticipate future needs. In addition, it aims to maintain proper urban management and promote public welfare.

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