OMC is Carried Out with Careful Study, Legislator Affirms
Reported by Fakhrizal Fakhri | Translated by
Jakarta City Council's Head of Commission D, Yuke Yurike said Weather Modification Operations (OMC) have undergone thorough study and are not carried out without calculating future impacts.
provide time for mitigation
Yuke added the Jakarta Provincial Government is implementing OMC not merely as an effort to reduce or "delay" rain, but as part of a disaster mitigation strategy so that the government has time to take anticipatory measures in the field.
"The OMC must have been reviewed. It's impossible to implement without considering environmental impacts and natural cycles. The goal isn't to delay rainfall and cause problems later, but to provide time for mitigation," she said, Thursday (1/29).
Jakarta to Build Polor Reservoir on Angke RiverAccording to her, the time lag resulting from the OMC can be used to prepare emergency measures, such as strengthening temporary embankments, installing gabions, and handling flood-prone areas before rainfall increases again.
However, Yuke emphasized that OMC cannot be the sole solution for flood control. Besides requiring significant costs, this policy must also be based on research, technical studies, and thorough coordination with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
"Not everything can be relied on weather modification. The provincial government will determine the timing of the OMC based on studies and coordination with the BMKG," she added.
Furthermore, Yuke assessed that the Jakarta Provincial Government has made various efforts to optimize flood control infrastructure, starting from improving micro-scale drainage, building reservoirs and polders, to strengthening coastal embankments.
However, she also emphasized the importance of paying serious attention to water channels in densely populated residential areas, which are often a source of problems.
"In densely populated areas, the problem often lies in small canals. Our large rivers are problematic, and small streams also need serious attention and solutions," she stated.
