Jakarta North City Government Requests Protocol Routes Remain Functional During Tidal Floods

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Mayor of North Jakarta, Fredy Setiawan, has requested that all protocol routes in his region remain functional even during tidal floods or coastal flooding predicted by the BMKG to occur in April 2026. “We request that the protocol routes must remain optimally functional during high tides or flooding due to heavy rain,” said Fredy Setiawan in Jakarta on Thursday. He stressed that main road access must not be disrupted by waterlogging from tidal floods or heavy rain in the local area. “Anticipating protocol routes is very important. Do not let the main access become paralysed due to inundation,” he said. He asked relevant officials to ensure that preventive measures on those routes are effectively implemented. “Sub-district and village officials should actively dismantle obstacles in water channels that could potentially cause blockages,” he stated. This effort is deemed crucial to facilitate water flow during increased discharge. Thus, it is hoped to minimise social and economic impacts on North Jakarta residents, who are frequently affected by tidal floods. “Let us prepare to face extreme weather conditions,” he said. He plans to conduct field visits on 30 to 31 March 2026 to inspect various mitigation efforts that have been carried out. “Immediately schedule the visit to directly observe preventive actions, from the readiness of rubber boats to the progress of embankment construction for mitigation and channel cleaning, such as in the RE Martadinata, Penjaringan, and Muara Karang areas,” he said. Previously, the North Jakarta Water Resources Sub-Department mapped several locations in the city that are prone to tidal or coastal flooding. “To anticipate the potential for such tides, various strategic measures have been prepared,” said the Head of the Drainage Maintenance Section of the North Jakarta Water Resources Sub-Department, Yudo Widiatmoko, in Jakarta on Thursday. He explained that the efforts include building and raising embankments as well as dredging river silt. They are also installing emergency embankments at several points and operating water pumps at various vulnerable locations. His side has also prepared 150 Blue Troops personnel, 20 floating pumps, 16 mobile pumps, and eight pump stations complete with operators to suck up water when flooding occurs.