Rp 37b wasted on flood project<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
While many Jakartans are still suffering from water shortages due
\nto a prolonged dry season, they have now been warned about the
\npossibility of flooding in the near future.<\/p>\n
The administration has allocated Rp 37 billion for river
\ndredging and dam maintenance this year, but it is by no means
\nsure that this will be enough to hold the floods at bay.<\/p>\n
"No, I am not optimistic that the dredging will significantly
\nreduce the flooding. The public should stay alert, particularly
\nduring spells of heavy rain," Jakarta Public Works Agency
\ndirector IGKG Suena told reporters, without specifying when the
\npossible floods were expected.<\/p>\n
Suena said the rainy season had started earlier in the capital
\nthan forecast by the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG),
\nwhich had previously said that the rainy season would start in
\nNovember.<\/p>\n
To prepare for the rain and possible floods, he said his
\nagency would undertake eight dredging projects this year -- on
\nthe Krukut river, Ciliwung river, Grogol river, Cakung river,
\nSunter river and Mookervaart river, and in Pulo Mas and Pluit<\/p>\n
He admitted that the dredging would only be able to start in
\nNovember as the tender processes for the projects had not yet
\nbegun due to administrative problems.<\/p>\n
Nearly all city administration agencies have been slow to
\nspend their budget allocations this year due primarily to the
\nintroduction of a new city budgetary system.<\/p>\n
Only around 25 percent of the Rp 11 trillion in expenditure
\nbudgeted for this year was spent in the first semester.<\/p>\n
Suena also admitted that the dredging projects would not
\nguarantee a significant reduction in flooding in the city.<\/p>\n
He said that only the construction of the planned East Flood
\nCanal would finally resolve the city's flooding problem.<\/p>\n
The Rp 4.5 trillion canal project, which is being jointly
\nundertaken by the central government and the city administration,
\nis expected to be completed within five years. The project
\nstarted in June.<\/p>\n
Based on data from the city public works agency, there are
\nsome 75 flood-prone areas in the city that are regularly hit by
\nannual inundations. These areas are spread throughout all five of
\nthe city's municipalities, but the highest risk locations are
\nalong riverbanks and in many subdistricts in North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Early last year, a massive flood hit 168 out of the 262
\nsubdistricts in the city, killing at least 30 people and
\naffecting nearly 300,000 others.<\/p>\n
Separately, Governor Sutiyoso said that the preparations for
\ncloud seeding operations currently underway would be halted as
\nheavy rain had already started falling on the city.<\/p>\n
"We will stop the cloud seeding preparations. Why should we
\nspend money on the project when heavy rain is already falling? It
\nwould be better for the money to be used for other essential
\nprojects," Sutiyoso said, adding that the plans for the Rp 2.2
\nbillion project had envisaged it being terminated after rain
\nstarted falling.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rp-37b-wasted-on-flood-project-1447893297",
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