JP/8/SPEAK

JP/8/SPEAK

'I'm fed up with the annual floods'

Rain has started to fall once again in the city. Those people
suffering from water shortages have welcomed the apparent arrival
of the rainy season with joy -- a joy tempered, however, by
concern about the possibility of flooding. The Jakarta Post
talked to some residents for whom flooding is an annual
occurrence on how they are preparing for this year's rainy
season.

Andra, 32, is an employee with a firm in Central Jakarta. She
lives with her family in Pulo Mas, East Jakarta :

Flooding is a common problem especially for those living in
flood-prone areas like myself. I'm fed up with this annual
problem. I'm worried about flooding in this coming rainy season.

I've had it up to the teeth with the city administration's
empty promises. They have done nothing but talk while the floods
continue to destroy our homes.

The administration cannot be relied on to handle the floods. I
can see little hope of any improvement.

I can only say that all this is a logical, if unfortunate,
consequence of living in a flood-prone city. We have only two
choices: stay here and put up with the flooding, or sell our
homes and move elsewhere.

Novi, 22, is unemployed, and lives in Pinang Griya, Tangerang,
with her family:

My house is flooded every year, particularly when there's
heavy rain in Bogor. It's nothing new for us.

We can't do anything to avoid the floods. The Angke river is
near my house. It's just natural.

I only hope there won't be heavy rain in Bogor this year. I'm
still traumatized by last year's disaster. Stinking water flooded
our house and destroyed a lot of the furniture and household
appliances.

This rainy season, I'm going to move all the valuable and
fragile items to the attic. I'm also going to put the carpets
upstairs.

We have thought of selling the house and moving to a less
flood-prone area. Some of my neighbors have done this. We can't
even renovate our house due to our limited means.

Nani, 38, is a florist who lives in Cengkareng, West Jakarta,
with her husband and four children:

My house is the lowest in the neighborhood and I've had it up
to here with the floods. Filthy water rises up from the bathroom
and the floor, and fills the whole house.

I once was sleeping and when I woke up the mattress was
surrounded by water.

Since then my husband and I have tried to save some money to
reconstruct the house.

Besides, we also move our appliances to a safer part of the
house to keep them away from the water. Well, it worked last
year.

I'm not really worried about the rainy season. I have no
particular plans as there is nothing much I can do.

-- Leo Wahyudi S.