PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Bandung City Government (Pemkot) and Cimahi City Government agreed to strengthen cross-regional cooperation, especially in the fields of spatial planning, infrastructure, and management of border areas.

This understanding was established in a meeting between the Mayor of Bandung Muhammad Farhan and the Mayor of Cimahi Ngatiyana at Bandung City Hall, Friday (2/5/2025).

Cimahi Mayor Ngatiyana expressed his appreciation for the welcome from the Bandung City Government and emphasized the importance of aligning policies between regions.

"We need coordination and a common perception. We already have an MoU on the boundaries and construction of retention ponds. Hopefully, we will encourage BBWS to complete the retention ponds to reduce flooding," said Ngatiyana.

Ngatiyana also conveyed his aspirations that the City of Bandung would be willing to provide part of its border area to Cimahi, considering the increasing population density in Cimahi.

"Cimahi is densely populated, but its area is small. We ask that perhaps some of the area can be given, at least one sub-district," he said.

Regarding the Cirendeu land, Ngatiyana said that his party planned to make it a bamboo conservation area and green open space. However, he admitted that there were a number of agrarian problems in the area, including illegal land use changes and indications of encroachment based on findings by the Corruption Eradication Commission.

"Hopefully this meeting can be followed up and we can resolve it together," he said.

Responding to this, Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan said that the Bandung and Cimahi areas have many overlapping interests, especially in the fields of spatial planning and accessibility. Therefore, it is important to strengthen the existing memorandum of understanding (MoU) and expand concrete cooperation.

"We must take the cooperation seriously again. The entry route from the west to Bandung is starting to get crowded because many Cimahi residents work in Bandung. We can collaborate to widen the road so that people are not stuck in traffic jams for hours," he said.

According to Farhan, the management of border areas, such as the Cimindi area, is strategic. He stated that if Husein Sastranegara Airport is back in operation, then Cimindi Station can be developed into a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) area.

In addition, Farhan highlighted the issue of the former Leuwigajah Final Disposal Site (TPA) land in Cirendeu which is now abandoned and has begun to be seized by certain parties.

He emphasized the need for cooperation between the Bandung and Cimahi Regional Finance and Asset Agency (BKAD) to manage the 84-hectare land, part of which is owned by the City of Bandung.

"Our job is to ensure land ownership. We will coordinate with the BPN Office. This land has been closed for 20 years and must be managed so that it does not become a problem like Dago used to be," said Farhan.

Regarding the discourse on regional development or expansion, Farhan said that it was in the realm of the central government. However, he opened up space to conduct a joint study and invited seven members of the DPR from the relevant electoral districts.

This meeting is the initial momentum for strengthening the synergy between Bandung and Cimahi in responding to the challenges of spatial planning, mobility, and strategic asset management in the border area. The MoU, which is valid until 2026, will be the basis for expanding cooperation in the future. (Bandung City Communication and Information Service/ Rani)