'Govt must relocate riverbank squatters'

Jakartans, especially those living in flood-prone areas, are still on alert for further flooding even though the rains have been easing off. The Jakarta Post asked some residents what needed to be done in the future to avoid flooding.

Erwin, 27, works for a public relations firm in Central Jakarta. He lives in Condet, East Jakarta:

Jakartans are used to the annual floods. I think that the main cause of flooding in Jakarta is the silting up and constriction of the rivers, besides people's failure to keep the environment clean.

What the administration should have done a long time ago is to build more storm drains and channels.

In addition, the administration should maintain the budget for the "Clean River" program and offer proper compensation to encourage riverbank squatters to move.

Everybody is affected by the floods. The most glaring effect is the massive traffic jams that always ensue, and which certainly damage the economy.

Munaroh, 34, is a housewife living in Petamburan subdistrict, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta:

I am concerned about the current floods because thousands of people are being forced to leave their homes. I hope the administration will soon be able to resolve the problem.

I think the administration must relocate people who live in flood-prone areas, particularly those who live on the riverbanks, as their presence there worsens the flooding in other areas.

My house in Petamburan is rarely inundated. I have been living here since 1990, and only two floods -- in 1996 and 2002 -- have affected us.

I hope there will be no more floods here. Being forced to move to a temporary shelter was the worst experience I ever had. My baby, who was six months old at the time, cried all night, every night.

I hope the administration is serious about addressing the flooding problem. --The Jakarta Post