More than 200 km of drainage in Bandung badly damaged

More than 200 km of drainage in Bandung badly damaged

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, West Java

Bandung is a favored destination, especially for short holiday
trips from the capital, but the poor state of its drainage, which
causes traffic congestion, will increasingly put visitors off, an
official here said.

Head of the municipality's public works agency Rusjaf
Adimanggala said more than 200 kilometers (km) of drainage in the
city were in need of major repair due to building development,
which caused flooding on almost all roads every time it rained,
hastening erosion of the asphalt surface.

"Directly or indirectly, congestion can influence public
perceptions of convenience and, in turn, attractiveness to
tourism. People will be dissuaded from coming here," Rusjaf said.

Damage affects only 20 percent of 1,200 km of road but it
occurs where traffic is dense, such as around Jl. Juanda, Jl.
Merdeka and the downtown area.

Flooding caused by the damaged drainage also occurs in markets
such as those at Simpang Dago, Ciroyom, Rajawali and Astanaanyar.

Rusjaf said the damage was partly a result of mud clogging the
drainage system but mainly due to drains being covered by semi-
permanent structures, such as makeshift kiosks.

The silting up of streams near bridges also worsened the
situation, he said, leading to flooding. He added that by the end
of the rainy season damaged roads would likely amount to 70
percent of Bandung's total 1,000 km of road.

Flooding is also triggered by waste thrown into sewers, he
said. Repair costs are taken from the budget, which is only Rp 7
billion a year.

"We have repeatedly raised the matter with the budget
committee, but there has not been any serious response," Rusjaf
said. "Public information campaigns (about the consequences of
throwing waste into sewers, for instance) haven't been successful
either," he said.

By way of comparison, a study by the Bandung Institute of
Governance Studies revealed earlier that the 2003 Bandung
municipality budget had allocated Rp 86 billion to mass
organizations, including youth and religious organizations.