Residents stick by riverbank despite floods
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Abdul Halim, a resident living on a banks of the Ciliwung river in Kampung Melayu sub-district, East Jakarta was swept some three kilometers downstream by floodwaters when huge floods hit the capital in 2002.
"I was discovered by residents among piles of garbage near the Manggarai flood gate (in South Jakarta). Thank God I am still alive now," said Abdul, who claims to be 102 years old.
His neighbors said that Abdul, whose wife and two children live in Serang, Banten, was swept away in floodwaters together with his simple hut made of scraps of plastic, plywood, wire, planks of wood and rope collected from the river and other areas.
The 2002 floods affected nearly two-thirds of Jakarta's 650- square kilometer territory, killing over 30 people, forcing nearly 350,000 people to flee their homes and damaging a large part of the city's infrastructure.
Riverbank areas in Kampung Melayu are listed among places that are frequently hit by floods in the city. This year alone, they have been hit by floods twice -- in February and March.
The Ciliwung river, the source of which begins in the Puncak area, Bogor regency, is the longest river in the city. Floods in the area are often caused by heavy rain in Bogor, with the swelling river taking some eight hours to travel from Bogor to Kampung Melayu.
Abdul, however, is not discouraged by his bitter experience. Just days after the flood subsided, he immediately erected his shanty on the riverbank again, this time even closer to the river.
He also refused to return to his wife in Serang, Banten, where his two children also live.
"Why should I fear the flood. I will die when it is my time to die. God knows when I will die," said Abdul, who claimed that he joined the country's fight for independence against the Dutch colonial rulers in the 1940s.
Abdul collects and sells plastic sacks for a living. He collects plastic sacks mostly from the Kampung Melayu market and several shops in the surrounding area.
Abdul is only one of some 5,000 residents living along the banks of Ciliwung river in Kampung Melayu. Many of their makeshift houses even hang over the river, where they bathe, defecate, do their laundry and dump their garbage.
Ajat, 43, another resident of the Ciliwung riverbank, said that people in the area have already learned to live with floods.
"Floods are not a big problem for us because eight hours before the water comes, officials from the subdistrict office inform us that floodwaters are coming. Then we prepare to evacuate," he said, adding that many usually take their belongings to temporary shelters, while others keep them on the second floor of their houses.
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) has announced that the Greater Jakarta area is entering the rainy session. It means that residents of Kampung Melayu as well as other areas in the city should prepare for possible floods.
East Jakarta Mayor Koesnan Abdul Halim confirmed the situation in Kampung Melayu, saying that while residents in other areas were concerned about their fate, those living along the Ciliwung riverbank were not really bothered by floods.
"Many of them often ignore warnings from members of the rescue team, who tell them to immediately leave their houses. Many of them stay on the roof of their houses when the flood comes," he said.
"They are happy if the governor visits them and they begin asking for many things from him," the mayor said, adding that for many people there, the floods are considered a blessing as it means that they would get free food.
Ajat, however, refuted the mayor's statement. According to him, people living on the riverbank have no other place to stay. He also said that many people choose to stay there as the area is located close to their workplace and there is transportation available to almost every area in the capital.
"Many people prefer to live here although they must evacuate at least twice a year," said Ajat, who runs a small kiosk in front of his simple house to earn a living.