`It seems we'll have to rely on ourselves'

The massive flooding in the capital last year caused billions of rupiah in damage and displaced over 380,000 people. Worse still, the city administration has thus far failed to seriously address the matter. The Jakarta Post talked to residents about how to cope with Jakarta's annual flood problem.

Sonny, 33, is an employee of a multinational company in Tangerang. She resides in the Mutiara Pluit housing complex in North Jakarta with her husband and daughter:

I think the flood problem here (in Mutiara Pluit) will never be solved because the developer has failed to seriously tackle it.

The developer had promised to build a dam to prevent the floodwaters from the nearby river reaching us. But it's been nothing more than a promise so far.

I think both the developer and the city administration are talking a lot of nonsense about resolving the flood problem. They should have learned from the massive flooding in the city last year. It seems that every time the water recedes, the problem is considered over. They are unlikely to do anything to help us.

The city administration is so incompetent that it takes action only when something happens. It's so stupid, if I may say so.

I think the developer and the administration should work hand in hand as neither side has the individual will to settle the problem seriously.

A few days ago, the developer installed a pump to drain the inundated areas and channel the water back to the river. But, this won't work as there's no dam to prevent the river water from flowing back into the complex.

It's likely that the developer has done very little to minimize the risk of flooding.

I don't expect anything more from the developer or the administration. I've only myself to rely on. I have to keep an eye on the weather. I have moved all our belongings to the attic. I would like to add a second story to the house, if I had enough money, to escape the floods.

Sulam, 54, is a housewife residing in Pondok Karya subdistrict, South Jakarta, with her husband and five children:

I reckon that a lot of work has been done to resolve the flood problem in Pondok Karya. But, it doesn't seem to mean much as the floods continue to inundate the housing complex here.

I'm a bit lucky in that my house hasn't been flooded so far this year. At least, it's an improvement on last year. But, I'm worried as I've nowhere to go if the floods do come.

All the area around here is inundated after heavy rain. In a way, I realize that this is the risk of living in such a flood- prone area.

I don't blame the city administration for its failure to tackle the flooding here. The administration has tried to rebuild the bridge higher up, but again it's been useless.

I have to accept all the consequences of living in a low-lying area. So, what else can I say?

We have officials from the city administration and relatives of House of Representatives' members living in the complex. But the floods hit nearly all the houses, no matter who the owners are.

Oci, 31, is a housewife who resides in Manggarai, South Jakarta with her husband and a daughter:

I don't have any more to say because the government always appears to be deaf and indifferent about addressing the flood problem here. It would be useless to stage protests at City Hall as this would do nothing to prevent this area from being inundated.

I suggest that the city administration should evict the slum dwellers living along the riverbanks as their presence is partly to blame for the floods. In addition, the shanties on the riverbanks also spoil the appearance of the city.

We all know that garbage always blocks the Manggarai flood gate, thus causing the water to build up. The piles of garbage have never been removed, except once when the massive floods engulfed the whole city last year.

Although my house is quite far from the Ciliwung river, what happened last year left me traumatized as my house was inundated by up to one meter. I continue to worry about the likelihood of floods this year.

-- Leo Wahyudi S.