Ciliwung residents likely to experience floods again<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Thousands of people living along the riverbanks of the
\nCiliwung may not be able to avoid the floods with the wet season
\nfast approaching as the City Administration has not been able to
\nclear the clogged sections that block the flow of water.<\/p>\n
The worst affected areas are the river sections between the
\nKampung Melayu subdistrict in East Jakarta up to the Kali Pasir
\nsubdistrict in Central Jakarta, where the mud has not been
\ndredged since the late 1970s.<\/p>\n
\"It is difficult for you to cross the river as the water is
\nonly about a half meter deep, while the mud goes about a meter
\ndeep,\" said Muhammad Buyung Fadlollah, a man living along the
\nCiliwung river in the Manggarai subdistrict, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
This section of the river is not included on the central
\ngovernment's list of priority areas requiring dredging in
\nanticipation of the floods that are likely to return during the
\nupcoming wet season.<\/p>\n
The head of the City Public Works Agency IGKG Suena said the
\ngovernment had allocated Rp 70 billion for dredging a number of
\nwaterways.<\/p>\n
They include the Western Flood Canal from Manggarai to Karet
\nsubdistrict in Central Jakarta, the Ciliwung river as it runs
\nalong Jl. Gunung Sahari in Central Jakarta, Kali Angke and
\nseveral other smaller tributaries in the capital.<\/p>\n
The condition of the Ciliwung past the Manggarai floodgates is
\nvery poor. During this dry season, the width of the river has
\nshrunk from 30 meters to only six.<\/p>\n
Locals have used the new space along the dried mud edges of
\nthe river to plant bananas, papayas and a variety of vegetables.
\nOthers have used the space to raise ducks and chickens.<\/p>\n
Buyung, who has been living in the area since the 1960s, said
\nthe mud that had been dredged did not flow to other areas, but
\ninstead has flowed back into the same part.<\/p>\n
\"Floods happen almost each year, but the last one in February
\nwas the worst, and the water came up to the ceiling of my house,\"
\nBuyung told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The river is becoming choked with silt and mud, and sections
\nare narrowing, which is causing several bottlenecks along the
\nway.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that there will not be any more huge floods next
\nyear. But that is just a hope as the condition of the river here
\nhas not gotten any better,\" said Budi, Buyung's neighbor.<\/p>\n
The worst affected area is the Ciliwung between Manggarai up
\nto Kampung Melayu, where hundreds of homes are sprawled along the
\nriverbanks.<\/p>\n
Apart from using water from the river for washing the dishes,
\nthe people also dump human waste and other household garbage into
\nthe river daily.<\/p>\n
\"We do it (dumping trash) every day and so do the other people
\nhere. I don't think dumping garbage into the river will worsen
\nthe floods,\" said Aminah, a woman living in the Kampung Melayu
\ndistrict.<\/p>\n
Ciliwung is the longest river in the city, with its source in
\nthe Puncak area of Bogor, West Java. From Bogor the river passes
\nthrough Depok in West Java, Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta,
\nKampung Melayu in East Jakarta and Manggarai in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
From Manggarai, the river flows along a number of roads, such
\nas Jl. Diponegoro, Jl. Raden Saleh, Jl. Kali Pasir, Jl. Pejambon
\nand Jl. Perwira, where it forks into two smaller streams.<\/p>\n
The first part passes beside the Istiqlal Mosque, Jl. Veteran
\nI, Jl. Juanda, Jl. Jl. Hayam Wuruk\/Gadjah Mada and Jl. Mangga
\nBesar. The other part passes beside the Istiqlal Mosque and runs
\nalong Jl. Pos, Jl. Dr. Sutomo and Jl. Gunung Sahari.<\/p>\n
The streams end in Kali Ancol, which leads to the Jakarta
\nStraits.<\/p>\n
Some historians say that the Ciliwung river has existed since
\nthe era of the Taruma Negara Kingdom in 4th century. The kingdom,
\nwhich had its capital in Bogor, used the Ciliwung as its main
\nsource of water transportation for travel from the city to the
\ncoastal areas.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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