To anticipate flood in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, local water management public works sub-department is going to build three pump houses next year. According to the plan, these pump houses will be built at the end of Betik River in Kampung Kandang as well as around Artha Gading connecting channel (PHB) and Mati River.

The pump houses will be equipped with two pumps powered 0.5 cubic meter per second. Later, the pumps will flow water to Sunter River to be flown to the sea

As known, Kelapa Gading area was flooded during rainy season in last January-February. The roads there, like Jalan Boulevard Raya, Jalan Boulevard Barat, Jalan Boulevard Utara, and Jalan Raya Kelapa Hibrida, were inundated for as high 30-100 centimeters. The flood was finally receded after a week and caused loss reaching billions of rupiah.

“The pump houses will be equipped with two pumps powered 0.5 cubic meter per second. Later, the pumps will flow water to Sunter River to be flown to the sea. Hopefully with that, Kelapa Gading area could be free from flood,” stated Head of North Jakarta Water Management Public Works Sub-Department, Wagiman Silalahi, Monday (9/29).

According to Silalahi, the budget needed to build those pump houses and for the pumps procurement is predicted to reach Rp 30 billion.

Meanwhile, Head of Water Resources Maintenance Section for North Jakarta Water Management Public Works Sub-Department, Kuryatna Atmaja, informed that the dredging of water channels in Kelapa Gading keeps being accelerated.

Even so, he assessed that it is actually not enough. This is because based on last year’s experience, the water came from East Jakarta area which caused Sunter River water overflowed to Kelapa Gading area. As a result, Kelapa Gading got inundated for quite long.

“After we look for the problem’s root, the flood happened because of overflow water from Sunter River. That’s why, besides normalizing water channels, new pump houses will also be built,” he uttered.