TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta government is preparing to anticipate flooding during the rainy season this year. Anticipative measures are carried out from upstream, middle and downstream of the Capital City's watershed.
Teguh Hendarwan, head of the Jakarta Water Resources Service, said that one of the steps to anticipate flooding is by dredging the Ciliwung River. The agency is currently dredging the river's streams in the areas of Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, and Bukit Duri, South Jakarta.
"We are dredging some 1.8 kilometers of the river bank," he told Tempo on Tuesday, Oct. 23.
Another flood anticipation program, according to Teguh, is preparing pumps. His agency has 436 stationary pumps in 153 locations and 102 mobile pumps. Most of pumps, he said, are in good condition. He said that 92 percent are in good condition while 6 percent are being repaired and 2 percent need replacing.
In the last two days, heavy rains flushed many parts of the capital. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) estimates that Jakarta region will enter the rainy season from mid-November to early December.
The Jakarta Regional Secretary Saefullah has also issued a circular letter to the districts (kecamatan) and sub-districts (kelurahan) to hold community services—cleaning their neighborhood before the rainy season.
"The circular was issued in September," The Jakarta's Regional Disaster Management Prevention and Preparedness Division chief Tri Indrawan said.
GANGSAR PARIKESIT
