JAKARTA INTENSIFIES FLOOD-FIGHTING EFFORTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 25 (Antara) - Last week's floods that forced the evacuation of over 17,500 people in Jakarta could just be the beginning of a series of floods that might hit the capital city this rainy season, just like every year.          "It has been predicted that more floods will hit Jakarta because the city and its surrounding areas are still receiving heavy rainfall," Endang Achdiat, the head of the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), said on Monday.          As the threat of another flood looms over Jakarta due to the unrelenting rains that continue to hit the capital city, Endang expressed hope that residents in low-lying areas would remain alert.          Earlier, the Governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, urged all staff members to accurately anticipate floods in several areas of the city.          "I have asked them, especially Jakarta's Department of Public Works, to analyze and survey community units that are prone to flooding," he noted.          According to Purnama, floods can be handled properly and anticipated well in time through analysis and data collection.          "If we are already aware of areas prone to flooding, we can quickly anticipate them and distribute aid," he affirmed.            Health service officials are bracing for more floods that might create a health situation in the city, said Jakarta's Health Service Head Dien Emmawati.          "We are ready with utilities such as medical equipment, paramedics, and disease-handling facilities to anticipate the impact of floods on the health of Jakarta residents," Dien stated.          She noted that her office has also set up health command posts at flood evacuation centers to provide medical services.          In the meantime, the Jakarta BPBD and Jakarta Social Service Office (Dinsos DKI) have trained disaster volunteers in the face of possible flooding and other natural disasters that could again hit the capital city in the current rainy season.          The BPBD has trained at least 2,000 volunteers while the Dinsos DKI has prepared 225 social workers to be deployed in 15 Disaster Alert Villages (KBS).          "We have 2,000 trained disaster volunteers who are ready to be deployed any time a disaster strikes," Rahmat Basuki, the Operation Control Section Head of the Jakarta BPBD, announced on Monday.          He added that the volunteers can be sent to disaster-hit locations to handle  disaster emergency conditions, particularly flooding and fires, as Jakarta and its vicinity are now susceptible to these disasters.          The volunteers will be deployed immediately after the Jakarta governor declares disaster emergency condition in the capital city.          Besides the volunteers, the Jakarta BPBD has also trained 300 members of the Rapid Reaction Team (TRC).  Among other responsibilities, the team will prepare the lists of requirements of disaster-hit residents.          "Once we receive data from the TRC, we will coordinate with the assigned units of the regions concerned," Rahmat stated.          Besides personnel, the BPBD is also ready with boats, tents and public kitchens to help flood-hit people.          The Jakarta BPBD will also rope in a number of businesspersons and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help in Jakarta's flood-fighting efforts.          "We cannot rely on the BPBD alone. All parties must be involved," Rahmat remarked.          Meanwhile, Dinsos DKI is ready with 225 personnel to be deployed in 15 KSBs (disaster alert villages) to anticipate floods and other disasters in the capital city.          "We have trained 225 workers from flood-prone villages," Head of the Disaster Victim Social Aid Section of Dinsos DKI, Sahrul, stated on Monday.          Dinsos DKI has set up KSBs in those villages that are prone to floods and disasters in the capital city. The KSB is expected to reach assistance immediately after a disaster takes place.          The volunteers have been trained to handle public kitchens, use equipment, manage logistics, operate rafts, and manage supporting posts.          "We hope they will be able to work fast and provide assistance to the residents of a region as soon as it is hit by a flood or disaster," Sahrul noted.          Flooding is an annual disaster that affects Jakarta. After all, there are at least 13 rivers flowing from upstream areas crisscrossing the region before hitting sea.          This year, flooding in Jakarta is expected to peak by the end of November until January.          The Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) has warned that floods will continue to hit Jakarta every year if its upstream areas are not repaired.          "Jakarta cannot avoid floods as long as their root causes are not addressed," Mukri Friatna, the disaster mitigation manager of Walhi, stated.          He noted that the floods that hit Jakarta annually were flash floods from upstream areas such as Depok, Bogor, and its surrounding areas.          Therefore, the government should pay attention to upstream areas where catchment coverage is declining, causing floodwaters to be released downstream.          "The catchment areas upstream are narrowing because human settlements are encroaching on river basins," the Walhi official observed.          The regional government of Jakarta should be able to repair upstream catchment areas to stop flooding. The government should also put in order the villas and houses that have reduced the catchments in upstream and river basin areas, he added.          "If the catchments in upstream and river basin areas are widened and restored to their normal sizes, we might be able to prevent floods," he said.***3*** (T.A014/INE) EDITED BY INE (H-YH) (T.A014/A/BESSR/A/A. Abdussalam) 25-11-2014 21:31: