JAKARTA ALERTED OVER POSSIBLE MASSIVE FLOODING

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 26 (ANTARA) - With the current rainy season  expected to peak in January and February, Jakarta city authorities have been called upon on to prepare for possible massive flooding and take steps to minimize its destructive impact if it happens,    "I am paying  special attention to Jakarta, although it has been relatively safe in the last four years. But you have to remember that next year it could be different," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo here on Friday.         The president made the statement in a limited cabinet meeting on climate change also attended by  Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo.       The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (MBKG) has predicted that in the current rainy season extreme weather in a number of regions in Indonesia will take place. Moreover, now is the time for the five yearly cycle of big floods to take place again.         Yudhoyono said Jakarta was  hit by floods every year. Therefore, he asked the Jakarta government to prepare various steps to anticipate floods.  "I am confident the Jakarta governor has taken the anticipatory steps," the president said.          The president asked the people to take a lesson from the experience of several neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, like Thailand and others, which were hit by floods.          Therefore the relevant ministries have also prepared steps so that floods, if they take place, would not have impact and last for long like those taking place in Thailand.          Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al-Jufri said the government had made preparations to face the possible major floods in Jakarta. "All relevant ministries have made preparations for floods, not only in Jakarta but also in other regions in Indonesia. After all, the rain falls in January and February are high. So, we have to make preparations so that it would happen like in Thailand," Minister Salim said.          He said his ministry had prepared emergency funds, inflatable  and salvaging boats. Besides, a total of 1,250 rescuers are alerted in Jakarta and more than 30 thousands others all over the country.  "We are doing our best so that the victims could be well safeguarded when there are floods," the minister said.          Especially in the face of the fiver yearly cycles of big floods in Jakarta, the Jakarta government said it had made preparations even since 2008, such as dredging rivers and cleaning   sewage.          Head of Jakarta Public Work Service Ery Basworo said his office had allocated a fund for cleaning 144 rivers and sewages every year in Jakarta. In 2008, 12 rivers were dredged while in 2009 the same thing was also done on 64 rivers. Last year, six rivers were dredged and cleaned of     refuse clog.          "The main cause of floods in Jakarta is garbage that clogged the sewage system and rivers. Therefore, the regional government also called for the participation of the people,"  Ery Basworo said.          Besides, the Jakarta public works service also is also preparing at least 646 flood task forces which are deployed in a number of flood prone areas in Jakarta. It has also made available at least 334 units of water pumps with a capacity of 358.7 cubic meters per second in 121 flood prone locations, 17 pick-up trucks, 25 units of Beco heavy equipment, 32 mobile water pumps, 38,500 sand bags, 6 rubber boats,  he said.         According to Ery Basworo, the equipment needed to overcome floods is now ready for operations in five areas of Jakarta in the current rainy season. "The Jakarta Public Work Service has conducted monitoring and detection on flood locations in Jakarta in the run-up to the rainy season," he said.         Regarding the widening of rivers and dams, Ery said his office would be assisted by the central government in widening five rivers from six meters to 22 meters. "Besides, narrow culverts would also be widened. Those previously having a diameter of 60 cm are now replaced with those with a diameter of 1.8 meters," he said.          Ery said that the rivers that would be widened included the Sunter, the Cipinang, the Grogol, the Krukut and the Pesanggrahan. "The width of the five rivers is only six meters. We plan to widen it into 22 meters with a length of 35 km for each of the rivers," Ery said.          House Speaker Marzuki Alie appreciated the various efforts by the regional government of Jakarta and the people made to anticipate floods in the capital city as a result of increasing rain falls which is expected to take place next month.          "The House hails the regional government and people's efforts to face floods such as the cleaning and the construction of walls on the brink of River Ciliwung and floods safeguarding simulations," the House Speaker said.         Marzuki said Jakarta as the capital city is the center of government, economic activities and the activities of state institutions. Therefore, Jakarta should be free from floods because the disaster would disturb the government and people economic activities.         "If the construction of the east and west flood canals have almost been completed, revitalization of dams and 13 rivers which crisscross Jakarta should be carried out soon, including the Ciliwung  river" Marzuki Alie said.***6**** (T.A014/A/HAJM/18:10/A014) 26-11-2011 18:19: