President urges improved planning to fight floods

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri urged for stricter spatial planning in Jakarta and its buffer towns to avoid further natural disasters, such as floods and landslides.

Speaking at the inauguration of several water pumps in the capital on Thursday, the President suggested that spatial planning be detailed in a blueprint that would bind all the involved parties.

"With the program, whoever leads the country will have to abide by the blueprint to avoid further environmental destruction," she said.

Two of the water pumps are located in South Jakarta, two in Central Jakarta and one in North Jakarta.

Megawati blamed the environmental destruction in Puncak, Bogor and Cianjur areas in West Java, which serve as water catchment areas for Jakarta, on the absence of harmonious spatial planning.

"It is very expensive to install the pumps, we would not have needed them if spatial planning in the southern part of Jakarta, such as Puncak had been more detailed," Megawati said.

Since 2000, Jakarta has suffered annual floods, which have been blamed on disorderly city planning, as well as the construction of villas and resorts in water catchment areas.

The government will issue a new blueprint in July for the spatial planning of Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur areas.

In her speech, the President also asked people to heighten their environmental awareness and focus on reforestation in order to avoid floods.

Meanwhile, Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno said the water pumps could minimize flooding in the capital.

"If we made full use of the existing drainage and sanitation system, we would be able to contain flooding after heavy rain," Soenarno said.

According to the minister, the pumps could control water levels in 30 to 40 percent of areas that were prone to flooding.