Pondok Labu Resident Introduces Smart Flood Warning System Innovation
A resident of Pondok Labu Urban Village, Cilandak, South Jakarta, has introduced an innovative flood detection device called the Smart Flood Warning System to serve as an early warning mechanism for the community.
Pondok Labu Urban Village Head Nachnoer Vernier Atom explained that the idea came from a member of the Karang Taruna youth organisation in RT 02 RW 10, named Azzuhri, following his participation in a disaster education and training programme (Diklat) organised by the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). “After attending the BPBD training, he had the idea to create a flood detection device because he also lives in a flood-prone area,” Vernier told reporters in Jakarta on Saturday.
Vernier noted that Pondok Labu is a highly flood-prone area, with the worst flooding occurring in 2020, reaching a height of nearly two metres. Situated between the Grogol and Krukut rivers, several settlements in Pondok Labu are frequently affected when water levels rise. As an initial phase, two units of the flood detection device have been installed, one each in RT 01 and RT 02 of RW 10. These locations were chosen because they are the areas most frequently impacted by the overflow of the Grogol River and are also where the innovator resides. The local administration plans to expand the installation of similar devices to other flood-prone points through corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes and cooperation with various stakeholders.
The initiator, Muhammad Azzuhri Ramdhani, a 23-year-old graduate in Economics Management from the National University, stated that the device was created after he attended disaster training. He noted that this is the first such system to be implemented in Jakarta. “We started this idea with friends from Karang Taruna who have various potentials in technological knowledge. After the training, we designed this tool to be installed in RT 02 as the main pilot in the Pondok Labu Urban Village area,” he said.
Zuhri recounted that before the device was installed, flood information was relayed manually using slit drums, mosque loudspeakers, or by hitting electricity poles. These methods were considered less effective, especially during nighttime rainfall. He utilised various used components donated by residents to build the flood detection device. According to him, the water level in the area is highly dependent on rainfall intensity; heavy rain lasting just about 30 minutes can cause flooding up to 50 centimetres. “This tool was created so that the community receives information earlier. Because floods come without warning, but the community has the right to get an early warning,” he said. The first installation in RT 02 was carried out independently using community funds, resident support, and assistance from Karang Taruna at the end of 2024, while the unit in RT 01 was facilitated through CSR by the FIF Group.