Endless floods hit Kapuk Muara area<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The rainy season has yet to come but the residents of Kapuk Muara
\nsubdistrict in North Jakarta had to put up with water from the
\nAngke river deluging the road and their homes for the last week.
\nThe water reached knee-level over the Idul Fitri holiday.<\/p>\n
This is not new for the residents, who have mostly lived
\nalongside the river for over 30 years. The road is frequently
\nflooded to a depth of 10 centimeters (cm) to 30 cm. At least
\nthree times a year, it reaches at least 50 centimeters.<\/p>\n
Yohanes Avila Sutjipto, one of the subdistrict council members
\nand head of neighborhood unit five (RW 5), said that the floods
\nhad become worse since 1997 due to the incomplete construction of
\na water canal.<\/p>\n
The city administration, he said, had built three canals that
\nwere about two kilometers long that year in a bid to channel the
\nwater from the river into Cengkareng Drain and then the Java Sea.<\/p>\n
But construction of one of the canals that runs through RW 5
\nhad stopped after only 100 meters. The water simply swamped the
\nempty plot of land adjacent to the Villa Kapuk Mas housing
\ncomplex.<\/p>\n
\"When the water level of the river is high, usually after rain
\nin Bogor, the blocked canal forces the excess water to flow into
\nJl. Kapuk Muara and hence into the houses,\" Sutjipto told The
\nJakarta Post on Tuesday, adding that his neighborhood suffered
\nthe most.<\/p>\n
RW 5 is situated right alongside the riverbank, whose surface
\nis level with the ground. Only a one-meter-wide path separates
\nthe houses from the filthy river, full of household garbage.<\/p>\n
The floods in February inundated the area with water that
\nwould have reached the neck of an adult male.<\/p>\n
The floods were worsened by the development of Pantai Indah
\nKapuk housing estate in the early 1990s by developer PT Mandara
\nPermai in a water catchment of Kapuk Muara coastal area.<\/p>\n
The residents staged demonstrations against PT Mandara, which
\nwas later forced to raise the road by 80 cm.<\/p>\n
However, construction only began in September and failed to
\navert water from flooding the road.<\/p>\n
A dam built in Pesing Koneng that has blocked the free flow of
\nthe Angke river and the absence of an embankment worsen the
\nsituation.<\/p>\n
\"The residents made their complaints and suggestions to vice
\ngovernor Fauzi Bowo during his visit on Nov. 27. But I don't know
\nhow quickly we'll get a response,\" Sutjipto said.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration has promised to build an embankment
\nalongside the river to replace the old five-meter wall, built in
\n1970, of which only 20 centimeters of its steel frame are left
\nstanding, while the whole wall has completely subsided.<\/p>\n
However, said a resident, the construction will only be
\nstarted next year.<\/p>\n
In anticipation of the next floods, predicted to hit the
\ncapital late this month or early next year, the administration
\nhas provided one boat to each of seven RWs, as well as long-life
\nfood to be distributed immediately the waters rise.<\/p>\n
Flood-free shelters, according to Sutjipto, have also been
\nprepared by the administration.<\/p>\n
However, residents have long been disappointed by broken
\npromises and refuse to leave their houses, whatever happens.<\/p>\n
\"I've been here since 1971 and I'm used to the floods. I can
\nbest stay in the attic. Moreover, the shelters were all inundated
\nduring the last floods,\" said Yohana Sumiati, whose house faces
\nthe river.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/endless-floods-hit-kapuk-muara-area-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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