Tiny Bogor lakes no match for flood<\/p>\n
Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post\/Bogor<\/p>\n
At least 32 of 93 small lakes for flood control
\nin Bogor, West Java are damaged, according to an official in the
\ncity.<\/p>\n
The head of the Bogor Public Works agency, Nurhayanti said the
\n32 lakes were getting shallower every year due to excess
\nsedimentation and weeds, reducing their ability to contain water,
\nand that could increase the likelihood of flooding in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"The lakes are very important for water catchment during the
\nrainy season. If they function well, much of the water can be
\ncontained and thus avert possible floods in Jakarta," she told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The lakes include Cisarua, Megamendung, Ciawi, Cibinong and
\nCileungsi, which average between 2 hectares and 35 hectares in
\nsize.<\/p>\n
The central government, along with the West Java provincial
\nadministration and Bogor regental administration agreed in May
\n2004 to restore the lakes.<\/p>\n
"The problem is that all of the lakes are still under the
\ncentral government's authority. In fact, many private companies
\nhave made proposals to manage some of the lakes, but we are still
\nwaiting for the decision from the central government," said
\nNurhayanti.<\/p>\n
She said only 61 lakes function well in holding and
\ncontrolling water volume flowing to Jakarta every year.<\/p>\n
Many meteorologists have said that heavy rains in upstream
\nareas of Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur could cause flooding in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
With 13 rivers flowing into Jakarta from those areas,
\nflooding, to some degree, has become an annual occurrence in the
\ncapital, 40 percent of which is at or below sea level.<\/p>\n
Two years ago, Jakarta experienced its worst-ever flood, which
\nparalyzed most of the capital, claiming 31 lives and leaving
\n300,000 people homeless.<\/p>\n
Nurhayanti said that the government should immediately take
\naction to restore the catchment areas, either by cleaning or
\ndredging them.<\/p>\n
"The central government, the West Java administration and the
\nBogor administration should work together to solve the problem,"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
In 2004, the Bogor administration could only restore three
\nlakes and it cost them Rp 713 million. All of the funds were
\ntaken from the regency's budget.<\/p>\n
"West Java managed also to repair three lakes while the
\ncentral government has only restored two," Nurhayanti said.<\/p>\n
She explained that the central government only focused on
\nlakes in the central part of Bogor, where the Ciliwung river is
\nlocated as it most directly affects the water condition of
\nJakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tiny-bogor-lakes-no-match-for-flood-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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