When floods come, we should not trade criticisms

When floods come, we should not trade criticisms

About 5,000 people in Jakarta have taken refuge in safer areas following massive floods in the capital city this past week.

The widespread flooding has paralyzed daily activities. Many people were not able to go to work due to tiring traffic jams. Those who had managed to come to work in the morning found it difficult to go home. Some of them had even spent the night in the middle of blocked roads.

The massive floods have unveiled our real condition -- a state of disorder, uncontrollable urbanization which has caused the destruction of water catchment areas.

The Jakarta Governor and administration have been widely criticized following the calamity.

The widespread flooding has opened our eyes that problems cannot be solved only by trading criticisms.

What we badly need is cooperation to solve the problems.

-- Kompas, Jakarta