Jakarta to build another dam to address flood problem

Antara 31 Oct 11;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo has said the capital city will build another dam to overcome a chronic flood problem in the Pondok Labu area and its surroundings.

"We have prepared everything. In the long term, we will construct a dam there. Pondok Labu will definitely no longer suffer flooding when the dam is completed," Fauzi Bowo said at Halim Perdana Kusuma Air Force base here on Monday where he was among a number of government officials seeing off President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his entourage on their departure to France.

The process to acquire land for the planned dam would begin next year, according to the governor.

Before flying to France, President Yudhoyono asked Vice President Boediono and Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo to address the flood problem in the capital city and to prevent the floods from spreading to wider areas like what were happening in Thailand and Myanmar.

On Sunday evening (Oct 31), Pondok Labu in south Jakarta was flooded up to a height of two meters, forcing residents to flee to higher ground.

The Indonesian Red Cross helped the local residents in the evacuation process and set up emergency tents to accommodate the flood victims consisting of at least 239 families.

Most parts of Indonesia are currently entering the rainy season.

(F001)

Editor: Ella Syafputri

Fauzi Vows to Build New Dam After S. Jakarta Floods
Jakarta Globe 31 Oct 11;

Following major flooding in South Jakarta’s Pondok Labu neighborhood on Sunday, Governor Fauzi Bowo has announced plans to build a new dam in the area to prevent further disasters.

“In the long run, we’re going to build dam there,” Fauzi said at the Halim Perdanakusuma airport on Monday. “After the dam is finished, there will be no floods in Pondok Bambu.”

Heavy flooding hit Pondok Labu and several other parts of the city after heavy rains on Sunday. The floodwaters in Pondok Labu reached a peak of two meters, inundating many homes and forcing 239 families to flee for higher ground and seek shelter in emergency tents overnight.

Prior to leaving for France for a G20 meeting, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono requested that Vice President Boediono and Fauzi look into heavy flooding.

Fauzi said on Monday that the land appropriation process for the new dam would start next year.

Antara

Indonesian government urged to mitigate impacts of Jakarta floods
Antara 31 Oct 11;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Public policy observer Andrinov Chaniago has urged the government to mitigate the impacts of big floods which usually occur every five years in Jakarta.

"Natural disasters cannot be avoided, but the impacts should be anticipated by the government," Adrinov said here on Monday.

The anticipatory steps could include reconstruction of damaged culverts in the capital city, he said.

"Jakarta`s drainage quality and capacity is not good enough," he said.

Serious floods could paralyze daily activities of Jakarta`s citizens, including in the business and education sectors, he said.

In normal conditions, it would take three days to go back to normal after flooding, but in Jakarta it could take more than three days, which indicated that there was something wrong with the drainage system, he added.

Andrinov said that until now the government`s anticipatory steps against big floods that usually come back every five years, were still not known.

Before flying to France, President Yudhoyono asked Vice President Boediono and Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo to address the flood problem in the capital city and to prevent the floods from spreading to wider areas like what were happening in Thailand and Myanmar.

On Sunday evening (Oct 31), Pondok Labu in south Jakarta was flooded up to a height of two meters, forcing residents to flee to higher ground.

The Indonesian Red Cross helped the local residents in the evacuation process and set up emergency tents to accommodate the flood victims consisting of at least 239 families.

Most parts of Indonesia are currently entering the rainy season.
(Uu.F001/HAJM)

Editor: Priyambodo RH

Flooding in South Jakarta Likely to Reoccur: BNPB
Jakarta Globe 1 Nov 11;

The spokesman of the National Mitigation Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said flooding in the Pondok Labu area is likely to reoccur because the width of the Krukut River has decreased due to the growing number of people living on the river banks.

Homes in the area were submerged in waters up to 1.5 meters high on Sunday due to heavy rains in the upstream areas of the Krukut River.

“The housing areas growing rapidly along the river banks have depleted the size of the river,” Sutopo told the Jakarta Globe, adding that the river’s width had decreased from 16 meters to two meters.

“It means it can only contain 30 percent of the rainfall, thus the flooding,” he said. “It is important that the river be returned to its original width to improve its capacity.”

Pondok Labu has always been prone to flooding and flood waters caused hundreds of families to flee the area on Sunday night. This was capital’s first major incident since the start of this year’s rainy season.

On Tuesday morning, the Jayakarta Regional Military Command Maj. Gen. Waris visited flood victims in the evacuation shelter.

Waris’ visit coincided with accusations from evacuees that one of the causes of the flood was the construction of a shooting range for the marines.

“Our friends in the marines are taking the necessary steps such as dredging the river so the floods will stop completely,” Waris said as quoted by news portal Okezone.com.

The marines also donated food for the evacuees and volunteered at the emergency kitchen.