Huge funds needed to free Jakarta from floods: Sutiyoso

Huge funds needed to free Jakarta from floods: Sutiyoso

JAKARTA (JP): The capital will never be free from floods
unless it has a drainage canal at the city's east and west border
areas to facilitate drainage to the sea, Governor Sutiyoso said.

The only other option to escape being annually inundated
during the rainy season is to move the city from the current
location, the governor said on Tuesday.

"Those are the only choices, both of which are impossible for
us (to realize) at the moment," he said.

According to the retired three-star general, the situation was
mainly due to the fact that many buildings and houses had been
constructed on land that is lower than sea level.

"About 40 percent of the land in the capital is below sea
level. So, it would require a huge amount of money to free
Jakarta of floods," Sutiyoso said.

"Actually, we have had the master plan of the canals since
1975, but due to budget problems we could not build them.

All we can do now is merely the Rescue Program to keep as many
people as possible away from the flood prone areas," he added.

Under the program, the city administration is assisting people
living on the Ciliwung riverbanks to move to a better location
nearby.

The program is expected to return the Ciliwung river to its
original width of 60 meters from the current average width of 15
meters, Sutiyoso said.

"The city administration would provide the land while the
Ministry of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure will construct
the low-cost apartment building for riverbank people.

"The team will be formed to implement the plan as soon as
possible," Sutiyoso said.

However, the governor did not mention the time frame for the
project.

"I already met with Minister of Settlement and Regional
Infrastructure Erna Witular on the issue and I can see that the
central government is committed to the project," he said.

Separately, the City Planning Agency chief Ahmaddin Ahmad said
to build the canals the city at least needs funds equal to four
times the current nine-month city budget of Rp 4.05 trillion
(US$450 million).

"We already have a master plan from Dutch consultants ... and
the canals, if we could build them, can be used for tourism and
transportation," Ahmaddin said.

From the flood master plan, the eastern canal will be built
starting from Kali Malang river area to the east through Duren
Sawit area and straight north to the Marunda coastal area.

The western canal would be constructed beginning from Grogol
to Cengkareng and Kalideres area.

"Most of the land plotted for the project has already been
acquired for the canals. Only a few locations remain to be
purchased.

But, temporarily, we cannot continue with the plan for lack of
funds," Ahmaddin said.

He suggested the project could be continued in stages through
cooperation between the city administration and central
government.

"But the city administration and the government have not made
the project a priority because they must address many other more
important issues," Ahmaddin said. (dja)