Jakarta Flood is Everyone's Responsibility, Minister Says

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono, said that the Jakarta flood that occurred on February 25, 2020, is everyone's responsibility.

"If it concerns the nation's capital, everyone is responsible, including me. Do not differentiate authorities because this is the nation's capital, what important is there is no work overlapping. Whichever pump comes first because this is the nation's capital, authorities are just for systematics, but [in] emergency flood conditions, we are together," Basuki said on Tuesday, February 25, 2020.

Flood inundated a number of locations in Jakarta after the capital was struck with continuous rain from the evening of February 24, 2020, until February 25, 2020 in the afternoon.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had also warned the people to remain cautious for any potential heavy rain in many regions of Indonesia, including the Jabodetabek region starting from February 25 to February 28, 2020.

"I have also prepared more mobile pumps. I have also requested Mr Erick, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises [to instruct] the State-Owned Enterprise Karya [to buy] mobile pumps, which will be their assets, but under this conditions, it should be a joint asset," Basuki explained.

Basuki also said that previously, the central government had provided flood pumps to the DKI Jakarta Province regional government.

"The previous pumps which relate to the main thoroughfares, have been handed over, we handed them over to Governor Anies so he can manage everything. Pumps from the State Budget are 104 pumps, Pluit, Ancol, Melati, Karet, all [pumps] from the State Budget we have handed over to be managed. We want to construct another in Kali Item, no problem," Basuki explained.

Basuki asserted that the repeated flood incident was caused by the drainage system.

Basuki added that to reduce the amount of water filling up the Jakarta drainage, he had prepared a scenario at Kali Sentiong.

"We make pumps on the upstream, the Ancol pump in Kali Sentiong, because now it is open, therefore if Kali Item rise, flood happens. Currently, the tender has been finished and there will be a construction of a floodgate so when sea water rise, it will not flood. Hopefully it will be finished next year because the pump is very large, but I forgot about the capacity. The construction cost around IDR 400 to 500 billion," Basuki explained.

Meanwhile, concerning the flood in Kemayoran area, Basuki said that he had conducted a review on the drainage system, including enlarging the Kemayoran reservoir.

"But I think what needs to be dealt with is the drainage, at least we must clean them all," Basuki stated.

ANTARA