Responding to Recent Disasters

Kompas/Danial Ade Kurniawan

Authorities were carefully watching the water level of Ciliwung River in the Kampung Melayu area of Jatinegara, East Java, on Monday (5/2). Officers were deployed to be on guard amid the rising flow of water.

Bad weather, often accompanied by rain and thunder, is a force of nature. For mankind, this must be seen as both a symbol and a message.

As a video of a flash flood in Jakarta on Monday (5/2/2018) went viral, we were reminded of the possibility of flooding. The surface level of water at the Katulampa Dam, Bogor, reached 220 centimeters and continued to rise, leading to the issuance of the highest flood alert of Siaga I for Jakartans living on the banks  of the Ciliwung.

Apart from the threat of a flash flood in Jakarta, we also read about a landslide in Puncak. One person was killed, another was in critical condition and three were injured in a landslide in South Tugu village, Cisarua. Three people were reportedly buried in the landslide. Consequently, the police closed the main access road to Puncak on Monday morning to transport heavy equipment to the location of the disaster and to rescue the landslide victims.

Apart from the disasters caused by the weather, we also heard about the collapse of a girder on the double-track railway project on Sunday (4/2) in Matraman, Jatinegara, East Jakarta. Four died in the construction accident.

Soon after the accident in Matraman, an underpass retaining wall on Jl. Perimeter Selatan collapsed on Monday beneath the railway near Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Tangerang. Of the two victims buried in the accident, one died.

These recent series of construction accidents have triggered demands to review construction systems. Police said that the accident in Matraman involved negligence in the construction project. While awaiting the results of the review of incidents related to construction projects and natural disasters, we need to spend time to reflect.

Some say that disasters such as floods and landslides are natural consequences beyond our control.

There is truth in such a view, especially in large-scale disasters. Nevertheless, there are things we can do to minimize the impacts of these incidents. Increasingly severe floods are the consequence of global warming that has caused extreme weather. If humans refrain from doing activities that damage the upstream environment along rivers, such as deforestation, there is hope for minimizing the impact of extreme weather.

If we understand this increase in extreme weather, then we can also move away from critical lands. Consequently, when landslides occur, we can minimize the number of victims.

As for construction accidents, all standard operating procedures must be evaluated. This is urgent at a time when the government is ramping up its infrastructure development program. Grief leads to sympathy and solidarity. However, if we can prevent such incidents, why aren’t we doing so?