Jakarta Regional Council Criticises Flood Management, Rp5.4 Trillion Budget Deemed Ineffective

Jakarta – A member of the Jakarta Regional Council (DPRD) from the PSI faction, August Hamonangan, assessed that the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta’s flood control efforts have yet to yield optimal results, despite the significant budget allocated. The flood control budget allocation is said to reach Rp2.6 trillion in the 2025 Revised Regional Budget and Rp2.8 trillion in the 2026 Regional Budget, totalling Rp5.4 trillion. “Floods are already considered part of Jakarta’s fate, so the problem is not being handled properly,” August stated in his remarks, as quoted by Kompas.com on Thursday (7/5/2026). In South Jakarta, inundations occurred in 78 neighbourhoods, with the most affected areas in Petogogan Ward, as well as several other regions such as Bangka, Rawajati, Tanjung Barat, and Cilandak Timur. August also touched on the direction of the Provincial Government’s policies, which he deemed not focused on addressing flooding as the city’s primary issue. “The current Governor is more focused on ways to beautify the city, inviting international bands, and even hosting F1 races,” he said. He even launched a satirical critique regarding the ongoing flood conditions. “Let’s just race in the flooded areas then,” he quipped. “Clearly, river normalisation must be expedited. In my view, it won’t take years,” he added. In addition, he advocated for adding water pumps, repairing drainage channels, and widening them to prevent water from overflowing back into residents’ settlements. “We also need to add more water pumps, clean the water channels, and if necessary, widen them so that water does not accumulate,” August said.