Floods still frequently bother many Jakartans<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For most of Jakartans the misery of the floods has ended. But
\nthere are still many residents haunted by the natural disaster
\nalthough on a scale less dangerous than the floods in late
\nJanuary and early February.<\/p>\n
People living in Cipinang Besar Selatan subdistrict, East
\nJakarta, still experience flooding. The rainy season has not yet
\nended. Each time it rains in the city, their houses and nearby
\nroads are flooded.<\/p>\n
\"The floods occur here twice a week although not as severe as
\nthe one two months ago,\" said Lalan, 35, one of the residents in
\nthe subdistrict.<\/p>\n
The latest flood in Cipinang Besar Selatan occurred on
\nTuesday. It not only affects the people living along the
\nriverbanks of Cipinang river, but also others living farther from
\nthe river, such as the area near the Cipinang penitentiary.<\/p>\n
Although the floodwaters were not so high, it still bothered
\nresidents. Whenever it rains, they have to move their furniture
\nand other belongings to safer places like on a second floor or on
\nthe roof.<\/p>\n
\"We are lucky if we still have a chance to save our
\nbelongings. We often experience that the water has entered our
\nhouses while we are still sleeping soundly. Once, I woke up in
\nthe night to find our black and white TV waterlogged,\" said
\nLalan, whose husband is a construction worker.<\/p>\n
The floods have also affected their health. Diseases like skin
\ninfections, diarrhea, and respiratory infections are common.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, added Tuti, 30, who also lives in the
\nsubdistrict, free medical treatment was still provided by a
\nnumber of non-governmental organizations, including private radio
\nand television stations, which handed out the donations from
\ntheir listeners and viewers.<\/p>\n
\"Thank God we still receive aid from various organizations.
\nRecently I received school uniform, school bag, books and pencils
\nfor my son,\" said Lalan while showing a school bag with several
\nbooks and pencils in it.<\/p>\n
As the local administration has not done enough to help the
\nflood victims, various organizations are still collecting funds
\nfor flood victims in the city.<\/p>\n
The Christian Children's Fund (CCF) Indonesia, for example,
\nprovided free medical treatment for residents in Pulo Gadung
\nsubdistrict on Wednesday. The organization also distributed
\nstaple foods and food supplements for children in the
\nsubdistrict.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, not all flood victims have received assistance.
\nResidents of Klender subdistrict, and Duren Sawit subdistrict, in
\nEast Jakarta, whose houses were still inundated up to two weeks
\nago no longer receive any assistance.<\/p>\n
\"We received aid when our houses were inundated up to the roof
\nin February,\" said Kastubi, 61, pointing to part of his damaged
\nhouse located on the riverbank of Sunter river.<\/p>\n
\"I heard that there was assistance being provided for
\nrepairing houses, but I never received it,\" said Kastubi, who is
\na member of the local community security guards (Linmas) in the
\nsubdistrict.<\/p>\n
Eko Widodo, who is also a resident of Klender subdistrict,
\nsaid that this year the area had flooded more than 10 times.<\/p>\n
He added that this had never happened in previous years. He,
\nhowever, suspected that the floods were engineered by the
\nauthorities so that the people would want to leave the areas.<\/p>\n
He said that the city administration intentionally closed the
\nfloodgate in Pulogadung that controls the water flow of Sunter
\nriver, resulting in flooding in the area.<\/p>\n
\"They want to expel people living along the riverbanks as the
\nareas could be made into green areas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
But many of them have no choice other than to stay, as they
\nhave no money to seek new houses in other safer areas.<\/p>\n
\"Poverty has forced us to stay, although we'll always be
\nthreatened by the floods. We can only move if the government
\nhelps us,\" said Tuti.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/floods-still-frequently-bother-many-jakartans-1447893297",
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