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.