City unveils plans for dam to ease flooding
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
As part of its flood-fighting efforts, the Jakarta administration announced on Wednesday it planned to build a dam on the Ciliwung River on a 100-hectare plot of land in Cibogo hamlet, Ciawi, West Java.
The project, expected to cost Rp 150 billion (US$16.67 million), will be executed in cooperation with the Bogor administration and the central government, according to the head of the City Public Works Agency, Fodly Misbach.
"The Bogor regency administration has approved the project. The Jakarta administration will acquire the land, while the central government will be in charge of the construction of the dam," he said.
Fodly said the dam would reduce the water flow in the Ciliwung River and its tributaries. Ciliwung is one of 13 major rivers running through the city.
The administration has for years been attempting to construct the East Flood Canal to control five rivers in the eastern part of the city. However, the project has been permanently stalled because of land acquisition difficulties.
With no East Flood Canal and a West Flood Canal that grows more narrow each year, at least 78 areas across the capital are prone to flooding.
Major flooding in February 2002 paralyzed much of the capital. At least 31 people died in the flooding, which also forced 300,000 residents into temporary shelters.
In addition to helping to prevent flooding, the new dam will also serve as a water reservoir, Fodly said.
"The dam will be 10 meters deep and will be able to retain 10,000 cubic meters of water," he said.
The new dam, he added, would replace several small lakes, especially in Depok, which have dried out as the surrounding area has been converted into residential areas.
The Office of the State Minister for the Environment reported earlier that of 198 water reservoirs in Greater Jakarta, as many as 134, or 68 percent, could no longer function properly as water catchment areas.
Nine ponds have been converted into residential areas or dump sites, while two ponds in Tangerang have been converted into rice fields.
Separately, the Jakarta Flood Mitigation Task Force said it had established five flood command posts in five municipalities to anticipate flooding in the city with the coming of the rainy season. Each post at the municipality level will be manned by 20 to 30 personnel.
"The task force has deployed 280 personnel to guard 156 pumping stations across the city and to monitor water levels, especially at six main sluice gates: Depok, Katulampa, Cipinang, Sunter Hulu, Pesanggrahan and Sawangan," the task force said in a statement on Wednesday.