City finally looks set to take action over floods

City finally looks set to take action over floods

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso would officially start construction of the
23.6-kilometer long eastern flood canal worth Rp 4 trillion
(about US$430 million) to coincide with the city's 475th
anniversary next month, an official said on Friday.

"We hope the construction could be completed in the next four
years," City Development Planning Body head, Ritola Tasmaya, told
reporters after explaining the project to the governor at City
Hall.

Ritola said the city budget allocated Rp 22 billion while the
central government would disburse Rp 200 billion for the
beginning of the project this year.

He said three locations had been chosen for the first phase of
the construction: Marunda in North Jakarta, and Pulo Gebang and
Cipinang in East Jakarta.

"We have cleared about six percent of the land needed for the
canal development," he said.

The administration appropriated about 20 hectares of land
worth about Rp 20 billion in Pulo Gebang last year for the
project which needs a total of 236 hectares of land.

The canal project was divided into three segments and a total
of 13 canal sections covering 13 subdistricts in North and East
Jakarta.

The canal, together with the current 17-kilometer West Flood
Canal, were believed to be able to handle flows from the city's
13 rivers, channeling them to the sea.

The canal was originally designed by the Dutch early last
century and redesigned by Amsterdam-based consultant Nedeco 30
years ago but the construction has been on and off since then for
unclear reasons.

The construction of the canal was believed to have been driven
by massive flooding which struck most parts of Jakarta in January
and February this year.

The central government announced earlier that the construction
of the East Flood Canal and the river drainage program would cost
between Rp 15 trillion and Rp 20 trillion.

It said that the Dutch government had granted US$5 million to
the drainage program, especially for the Ciliwung River, while
the balance would be financed through a Japanese loan.

Without mentioning the amount of the funds needed, Ritola
revealed the government also planned to build 30,000 low-cost
apartments along the East Flood Canal.

"The idea was taken from Singapore where many apartments were
built along riversides," he added.

He believed that in the future, areas along the East Flood
Canal would become business centers.

Separately, City Environmental Office chief Kosasih
Wirahadikusumah raised the possibility of inviting local
developers to help finance the construction of the canal.

"We could give the developers permits to build housing
complexes along the canal," Kosasih said in the meeting.

But Sutiyoso seemed to disagree with the idea as he said that
the project should be developed in such a way so as not to give
an impression that it would be commercialized.