City Analyzes Flood-Prone Areas to Accelerate Flood Handling

Jakarta Governor Basuki ‘Ahok’ T Purnama instructs all of his ranks to be ready in facing flooding in the capital city. Various steps will be done by Jakarta Provincial Government in anticipating flooding, in which one of them is analyzing the problems happened in flood-prone areas, thus the handling could be done quickly.

I’ve instructed Jakarta Public Works Department to immediately analyze the data of hundreds of RWs in the capital city which threatened by flooding, what are the problems? Thus, we could handle it quick

“I’ve instructed Jakarta Public Works Department to immediately analyze the data of hundreds of RWs in the capital city which threatened by flooding, what are the problems? Thus, we could handle it quick,” stated Ahok, Thursday (11/20).

From his visit to pump houses and settlements a few days ago, Ahok disclosed that said some pump houses do not have fuel for flood handling operational.

Infrastructures This Year are Better to Anticipate Flooding

“Some others are damaged, the engines are broken. I’ve asked this problem to be solved quickly,” he stressed.

Moreover, Jakarta Provincial Government also has asked for permission to Public Works Ministry to quickly act in tackling flooding. This is because late flood handling all this time is caused by throw responsibility on to each other between city administration and Public Works Ministry.

“We can no longer talk which is (the responsibility of) Jakarta Public Works Department, which Public Works Ministry, or there is no heavy equipment. Public Works Minister has agreed. Which we could do, we’ll directly do it. Not like previously when we were working on (damaged road in) TB Simatupang, but we get scolded,” he expressed.

According to Ahok, flood handling anticipation efforts will be discussed in executive meeting on Monday (11/24). Some of the things to be discussed are the reports from RW chiefs and urban village heads whose jurisdiction threatened by flooding and the data from water pump houses as well as Public Works Department. Previously, flood handling was done separately by work units (SKPD).

“Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD) actually already knows the flood-prone points. The data is supposed to be reported to Public Works Department to be taken care of. But, the SKPDs were running independently. Starting this year, we begin to handle flood seriously,” he uttered.

Ahok also told that heavy equipments and mobile pumps have been prepared to tackle flooding. By that, the buildings that block water flow are expected to be demolished immediately, and the water inundating settlements to be directly sucked up.

“The buildings that had to be demolished, just demolish them. The rivers that should be installed with sheet piles, do it immediately,” he asserted.