DPR Says Illegal Villas also Cause Floods

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chief of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives (DPR) Yandri Susanto, said that efforts to mitigate flood in Jakarta must also accompanied by spatial planning in the Puncak area, Bogor.

Yandri mentioned about the presence of illegal villas in Puncak as one of the main cause of the flood that hits Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi.

Yandri said that during a DPR visit, Bogor Regent Ade Yasin had also complained about the presence of illegal villas. Moreover, the villas are owned by people with powers from Jakarta.

"Bogor Regent has given up. If we count on their actions, those people with powers, who are mostly from Jakarta who owns villas in Puncak will not comply," Yandri said in a phone call with Tempo on Friday, January 3, 2020.

Yandri said that the flood happening in Jabodetabek was not only caused by the rain. According to Yandri, flood will not occur if forests and rivers are maintained well.

Therefore, Yandri asserted that it will not be enough to control flood by means of river normalization without reorganizing areas around Bogor. The illegal villas must be reorganized to become water catchment areas.

"If we only handle the downstream, normalize the river in Jabodetabek but the amount of water channeled exceeded the capacity of the river, it will not solve the problem," Yandri explained.

Yandri urged the government to take charge to resolve the issue "There has to be courage from the central government. If needed, the president should have direct command," Yandri said.

BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI