City's prepares mamoth flood prevention measures<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
To face possible flooding in coming weeks, the city's crisis
\ncoordinating team revealed that this year's project would be more
\ncomprehensive than in previous years.<\/p>\n
Team officer Z.A.T. Siregar, who is also head of the Crisis
\nPrevention Agency, said on Wednesday that a total of 40,874
\npersonnel from the administration, police, military, search &
\nrescue squad, the local Red Cross branch and a student outdoor
\nactivity group would be on-call should floods hit the city.<\/p>\n
The figure is an increase from last year's 25,000 personnel
\ninvolved in the flood emergency preparations.<\/p>\n
Refusing to announce the total budget for the project, Siregar
\nonly said that the amount would be \"several hundred billion
\nrupiah.\"<\/p>\n
The team will also be equipped with 256 rubber dinghies, 169
\ntrucks, four helicopters, 162 military tents, 242 emergency
\nkitchen sets and 94 large drinking water tanks.<\/p>\n
It has also allocated several areas and buildings to shelter
\nresidents during floods at the 78 flood-prone areas. As many as
\n158 shelter points are located in North Jakarta, 41 in Central
\nJakarta, 68 in West Jakarta, 46 in South Jakarta and 14 others in
\nEast Jakarta.<\/p>\n
During floods in early 2002, at least 30 people were killed
\nand 300,000 were forced to flee their homes. The biggest flood in
\nthe city's history hit 168 of 262 subdistricts and paralyzed the
\ncapital for days.<\/p>\n
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) had warned last
\nweek of possible flooding in the coming weeks when heavy rain is
\nexpected in the highland areas above Jakarta -- Puncak, Bogor and
\nDepok. A full moon on Oct. 10 may contribute to flooding as tide
\nwaters in the Java sea will be high than normal in estuaries,
\nthus preventing rainwater from flowing unimpeded out to sea.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the administration continues to ensure residents
\nthat flooding is not imminent.<\/p>\n
The crisis center, led by the City's Public Order and
\nResidents Protection Agency, comprises the Fire Department, the
\nSocial Agency, the Health Agency, the Public Works Agency and the
\nCrisis Prevention Agency. As of Tuesday, the center was still
\nlocked and no office equipment was seen inside.<\/p>\n
Head of the Water Control Division with the Public Works
\nAgency, Wirjuita, said that the office had disbursed Rp 9.36
\nbillion (US$1.1 million) to clean 13 rivers, but so far only
\nseven of them were being or had been cleaned; namely the Duri
\nriver, the Grogol river, the Ciliwung tributary, Sunter Kresek,
\nthe Sekretaris waterway diversion, Tegal Alur and Jelakeng
\nrivers.<\/p>\n
The remaining six, in which cleaning projects have not begun
\ninclude the Cideng river, the Besar river, the Akuran river, the
\nKrukut river, Grogol reservoir and Pulo Mas reservoir.<\/p>\n
\"In dealing with the upcoming possible floods, we have build
\nembankments in several spots. But what we are afraid of, such as
\nwhat had happened to the Pluit dike, it could not handle high sea
\nwaves which we expect to come during the rainy season,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/citys-prepares-mamoth-flood-prevention-measures-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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