Nuriana ready to discuss flooding with Sutiyoso
Nuriana ready to discuss flooding with Sutiyoso
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung
East Java Governor R. Nuariana said on Monday that he was ready
to meet with Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso and Banten Governor Djoko
Munandar to discuss joint measures for preventing future flooding
in western Java.
He said that such a meeting was vital because environmental
damage in Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur, which has frequently been
blamed for flooding in Jakarta and the Banten regency of
Tangerang, had never been thoroughly discussed.
"The floods affecting Jakarta are very serious. The three
governors should sit down together to discuss the Ciliwung River
and the environmental damage in Bogor, Puncak and Cianajur which
has been partly blamed for the disaster," he said in the city on
Thursday.
He conceded that he had never been invited to discuss the
problem. He said he wanted to be included in any talks that might
be held on the issue because the Ciliwung River flows from East
Java to Jakarta and Tangerang, while Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur
fall within his province.
"The authority to issue permits for housing and other
developments is in the hands of the Cianjur and Bogor regents and
not mine. I just look and listen," he said.
The floods, the worst since 1996, have claimed more than 35
lives, displaced thousands of Jakartans and damaged thousands of
houses and other assets.
Besides criticizing the Jakarta City administration's
preventive measures and the poor quality of environmental
management in the capital city, many have blamed the
environmental deterioration in Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur for the
floods.
Separately, Muadz, spokesman for the West Java administration,
said Jakartans should not blame East Java for the environmental
damage in Bogor and Puncak but rather the owners of villas, which
have been mushrooming in the area.
"We should not be made the scapegoat because (the problem is)
the villas, mostly developed in contravention of the spatial zone
ruling and belonging to officials and businessmen in Jakarta.
"The number of West Java people who have villas in the
mountain resort is enormous," he said.
He said Jakarta would face difficulties supplying tap water to
its residents without access to the Ciliwung River.
Muadz said the floods affecting the province had claimed at
least 25 human lives, injured 4, 311 others and damaged 82,000
hectares of paddy fields in Bogor, Karawang, Indramayu, Cirebon
and Kuningan.