'We have no other choice, but to stay'

The National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) has forecasted that heavy rains will pour down on the city until Feb. 25. Massive flooding, like last year's, might hit the city again, it said. However, the City Governor has merely advised residents to brace themselves for the floods. The Jakarta Post talked to residents living in flood-prone areas on the issue.

Tabroni, 55, is a neighborhood unit chief in Cipulir subdistrict, South Jakarta. He lives with his wife and five children:

Honestly, last year's flooding frightened me badly, and it still frightens me now, despite the fact that I have been living here for 22 years.

On Wednesday, the river again flooded the neighborhood, and some of my neighbors took shelter in my house. This was the first flood this year. I'm just afraid that bigger a flood will flow into my house like last year.

As a safety precaution, I have moved all my household belongings into the attic, as have my neighbors.

We know that flooding is unavoidable here, because most of us live along the riverbank. It seems so far that this natural disaster is nearly impossible to prevent.

I'm sure that as soon as the heavy rains fall, this place will be flooded. I don't know what to do to save all the people and property here in preparing for the heavy downpours until the end of this month.

We have tried to comply with the regulation to build our houses a few meters away from the Pesanggrahan riverbank. But, I wonder why shopping centers have been allowed to exist along the riverbank? If there is a strong and huge flow of water, those buildings will block the river current, forcing the water to turn course and come into our neighborhood.

There have been no effective measures taken by the city administration to settle the problem, and the ongoing construction of an elevated road over the river will likely worsen the situation, with residents residing on lower ground more susceptible to floods.

I pity those living on much lower ground, because they have to suffer flooding all the time.

I've heard one of the mayors promise to straighten up the river to help smooth the current, but it has only remained an empty promise. Were it realized, it might help minimize the danger.

Masri, 34, is a sidewalk vendor selling children's clothes and shoes at Cipulir Market in South Jakarta. He lives in Pondok Aren subdistrict, South Jakarta, with his wife and two children:

I do realize that the Cipulir area is flooded annually. Last year was the worst flood ever.

On Wednesday, heavy rains caused a flood here, with the water level reaching at least 30 centimeters above the floor of the market.

But, what can I do? I don't know anywhere else better for a vendor like me to earn a living.

I haven't come up with any good ideas on how to save my goods from floods so far. I just have to stay alert when the heavy rains come.

Normally, I just wrap up all my goods and store them at the top story of the market.

I'm just sad that every rainy season like this means a few days off from work. If I should have to stop working for, let's say, one week, I will probably be flat broke because I wouldn't be able to make the Rp 40,000 I do each day.

Mrs. Rozali, 50, is the wife of the neighborhood unit chief at Pondok Pinang in South Jakarta. She lives with her husband and six children along the Pesanggrahan riverbank:

Thinking of the floods always makes me depressed, since it reminds me of last year's massive flooding in the city. It left me traumatized, if I may say so.

This is the only place I can call home, because I'm native to this neighborhood. I have never experienced such a horrendous nightmare before.

I lost a lot of belongings in last year's flooding, but I managed to save some of my household things, which I have kept wrapped up ever since. Now I have exchanged my metal kitchen utensils with plastic ones because those are more practical and much cheaper, too.

On Wednesday evening, the river water overflowed into my house, with the water reaching 80 centimeters high inside. I've just finished cleaning up the thick mud.

It seems that the nightmare is coming again this year, doesn't it? I don't know what to do to prepare for the disaster.

I think the safest thing to do would be to move from here. But I don't know where I'd go. Nobody will buy this house, and I don't have any other place to go to in the city. So, whether I like it or not, I must stay here and be aware of the coming rains.

If it gets worse, my family will move to our neighbors' houses, who live in safer areas, and wait for better conditions to return home.

I regret that the city administration has never helped residents who live in areas prone to flooding, like us. The administration's only sympathetic move so far has been to express an apology and to distribute aid. But, we don't need apologies, we need solutions.

In anticipation of the coming floods, we have set up a soup kitchen for flood survivors. But we haven't received any help or aid from the local district administration, let alone the city administration.