Sutiyoso in hot water over gridlock, flood<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Angered by Wednesday's gridlock and flooding in many parts of the
\ncapital, non-governmental organization the Jakarta Residents
\nForum (Fakta) opened a hotline on Thursday for Jakartans to lodge
\ncomplaints -- part of its preparation for class action suit
\nagainst the city administration.<\/p>\n
Fakta leader Azas Tigor Nainggolan told The Jakarta Post the
\nsituation in capital was totally \"out of control\" -- an
\nillustration of the administration's systemic failure to prevent
\nflooding or manage traffic in the city.<\/p>\n
Eight-hour heavy rain caused flooding across Jakarta and
\ncreated crippling traffic jams at major thoroughfares and toll
\nroads. Motorists blocking intersections, motorcyclists sheltering
\nbeneath underpasses and fallen trees added to the chaos.<\/p>\n
Tigor encouraged the public to provide Fakta information for
\nits class action.<\/p>\n
In 2002, Fakta took a similar suit against the administration,
\nfollowing a massive flood in February that claimed at least 30
\nlives and displaced some 300,000 people. Fakta lost the legal
\naction.<\/p>\n
Responding to the group, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said he was
\nconfident about facing the suit.<\/p>\n
\"We are ready. For us, the class action suit is not the most
\nimportant thing. We're more interested in seeking alternative
\nsolutions and getting public feedback to prevent the (flooding
\nand traffic jams) from reoccurring in the future,\" he said at
\nCity Hall.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said natural causes, not his administration, were to
\nblame.<\/p>\n
Forty percent of Jakarta's area was below sea level so it was
\nprone to flooding, he said.<\/p>\n
He also blamed the stalled East Flood Canal project for the
\nfloods, due to problems with land acquisition. The canal and the
\nexisting West Flood canal are expected to help control 13 rivers
\nflowing through the city to reduce possible flooding.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Public Order Agency head Soebagio, however, put the
\nblame on the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) for not
\nwarning the administration.<\/p>\n
The public order agency supervises the flood crisis center at
\nCity Hall.<\/p>\n
However, Jakarta Public Works Agency head Fodly Misbach said
\nWednesday's downpour was relatively rare.<\/p>\n
\"The BMG said Wednesday's heavy and uninterrupted
\nprecipitation was the first such downpour since 1971. The
\nabnormality was partly influenced by the changing global climate
\nsince 1996,\" he said, quoting a BMG release.<\/p>\n
Fodly attributed much of the flooding to four off-line water
\npumps at the Melati dam in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Four new pumps at the dam had been installed recently, he
\nsaid. However, four of the older pumps, had been moved to a new
\nlocation at the dam had not been reinstalled by Wednesday.<\/p>\n
That was why most of the flooded areas were in Central
\nJakarta, he said.<\/p>\n
Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno
\npointed to clogged up drains in the city as the main cause.<\/p>\n
The West Flood Canal should have been able to accommodate
\nWednesday's rainfall if the drains were working properly, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Residents who wish to file complaints can contact Fakta by
\ntelephone on 021-4715730 or by mail to Jl. Bojana Tirta II No. 1,
\nPisangan Timur, East Jakarta 13230.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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