Jakarta Ensures Pump Readiness Until Mud Dredging Runs Optimally

Jakarta Provincial Government continues to prepare for the rainy season, which according to predictions from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) will start, from the end of October. Through Jakarta Water Resources (SDA) Agency, various efforts were made to anticipate flooding in Jakarta area.

We already have 160 units with 400 per second liters capacity and will increase by 10 units

Jakarta SDA Agency Head Juaini Yusuf revealed his agency had 3 types of pumps for flood control, namely stationary pumps, mobile pumps and floating pumps.

He described that there were as many as 487 stationer pumps spread over in 178 locations. They were attached near the river, reservoir and sluice gate. When the water level rose, they would work directly to pump water into a bigger drainage system. According to him, 90% stationary pump condition was in prime condition.

SDA Agency will Add 65 Floating Pumps in Jakarta

"The rest are still under repair. While for the good pumps are still checked routinely for optimal performance in the rainy season," he explained, as quoted by Jakarta PPID's press release, Monday (10/12).

This year the agency also had added 10 mobile pumps. "We already have 160 units with 400 per second liters capacity and will increase by 10 units. They are alerted in Betik, Muara Angke and Teluk Gong rivers, as well as other flood-prone areas," he furthered.

Then the newest, the agency had 65 units of Agung pumps that have been alerted in 5 regions. Each region had 13 pumps that were able to suck up water on a surface where the mobile pump cannot pass. "Despite they are small, they have a strong suction power that is 50 liters per second. Hopefully it can optimally minimize flooding in all areas of Jakarta," he explained.

In the meantime, massive dredging was also still being intensified in rivers/reservoirs/embung (artificial lake) lakes in Jakarta through the Gerebek Lumpur program. Not only heavy equipment, manual action was also conducted to clean mud and waste in micro drains. It was done by collaborating with local urban villages, including locals in a bid to increase residents' awareness of the cleanliness of the drains around their homes.

Gerebek Lumpur had been massively conducted in two locations using triples heavy equipment. The initial phase had been done at the Ria Rio Reservoir, East Jakarta on September 2, using 15 excavator units. The second phase was at the Baru Barat River, Jalan Dr Saharjo, Setiabudi, South Jakarta on September 30. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and his partner Ahmad Riza Patria, participated in the second phase program.

"This is an ongoing program that has been ongoing since March and will end in the forthcoming December. Gerebek Lumpur aims to maximize the capacity of drains and streams thus can prevent overflowing waters from rivers and drains to residential areas," he stated.