Trash-clogged rivers highlight lack of flood control measures<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The city is not yet ready to tackle the serious flooding that
\nhas been predicted to hit Jakarta soon because it still lacks
\nflood-control facilities, and by Friday its rivers and dams had
\nnot yet been cleared of garbage.<\/p>\n
Huge amounts of garbage were seen on the surface of rivers,
\nincluding at Rawa Kepa and Tomang, West Jakarta and Pluit, North
\nJakarta, as well as at river dams in the areas.<\/p>\n
Head of the maintenance department of the City Public Works
\nAgency Wishnu Soebagyo revealed that some 800 cubic meters of
\ngarbage were dumped by residents in the city's 13 rivers every
\nday.<\/p>\n
\"We're facing great difficulty in removing the garbage from
\nthe rivers. We have insufficient funds and equipment,\" Wishnu
\ntold reporters.<\/p>\n
He stated that the amount of garbage in the rivers had
\nincreased following the week-long closure of the city's main
\ngarbage dump at Bantar Gebang, Bekasi, last month.<\/p>\n
Besides the garbage, the agency has also had to deal with
\nthousands of slum dwellings erected alongside the riverbanks and
\ndams. The width of rivers and dams has been reduced because of
\nthe thousands of makeshift buildings. \"Those houses will be
\nremoved this year,\" an officer at Pluit water dam said.<\/p>\n
But he added that the residents would certainly oppose
\neviction and would demand proper compensation, as they had lived
\nthere for years.<\/p>\n
Almost all residents who live on the riverbanks and around the
\ndams said that they did not know about the possible huge floods
\nforecast for later this month.<\/p>\n
They only know that the last huge flood happened in the
\nfasting month of Ramadhan in 1996. \"The flood reached the roof of
\nmy house at that time,\" Lina, a resident of Rawa Kepa, said.<\/p>\n
The 83-year-old woman said the residents took refugee at a
\nnearby elementary school building, which was located higher than
\ntheir houses.<\/p>\n
The dams in Rawa Kepa and Pluit are among the city's 12 water
\ndams, which would be used to control the floods, especially in 72
\nflood-prone areas, before they reached the sea at North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The city has 139 water pumps, mostly old equipment, and 156
\nsluices to control water levels in the city.<\/p>\n
Only the Cideng water pump in Central Jakarta, above the
\nCideng river, appeared to be ready. The computer-controlled
\nfacility is used to handle flooding in Central Jakarta, including
\nthe area around the State Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara,
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trash-clogged-rivers-highlight-lack-of-flood-control-measures-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}