Intensive Central-Regional Coordination Needed

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Students clean chairs and tables after floodwaters recede at SMA Negeri 60 state senior high school in Bangka, Mampang Prapatan, Central Jakarta, Wednesday (26/2/2020). Floods often inundate schools in the Bangka area because of their low location near the Mampang River. The school clean-up activities were assisted by the Office of Public Facilities and Infrastructure Workers.

The House of Representatives House of Representatives (DPR) Commission V has failed to hold a meeting to find a solution to the flooding in Jabodetabek (Greater Jakarta). The Indonesia Ombudsman’s Greater Jakarta representative alleges maladministration in Jakarta’s flood management.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — House of Representatives Commission V, overseeing infrastructure and transportation, canceled its hearing with the central and regional governments to find a solution to the flooding in Jakarta, West Java and Banten at the legislative complex in Jakarta on Wednesday (26/2/2020). The decision to cancel was due to the absence of Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil and Banten Governor Wahidin Halim, who were represented by officials that no authority to make decisions.

Among the national officials present at the meeting, presided by House Commission V chairman Lasarus from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle faction, were Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) head Dwikorita Karnawati and National Search and Rescue Agency head Air Marshal Bagus Puruhito. The only regional head present at the meeting was Bogor Regent Ade Munawaroh Yasin.

Lasarus criticized the conduct of the regional heads who had “failed to show good faith” in their absence at the meeting

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Residents whose houses were affected by flooding in Cipinang Melayu, Makassar, East Jakarta, cleanup on Wednesday (26/2/2020). Floods in a number of areas of Jakarta and surrounding areas the day before forced residents to evacuate.

Ade told the meeting that the Bogor administration was building dams in an attempt to manage flooding in the region. It had targeted completing the development of the Sukamahi, Ciawi and Cibeet dams by this year.

Contacted separately, Anies said he was unable to attend the House Commission V meeting because he was conducting field inspections of flood management the whole day. The data at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday showed that the floodwaters in 294 community units had receded.

Normalization-naturalization

Anies said that the Jakarta administration had been coordinating with the Public Works Ministry. A meeting had been held with River and Coastal Affairs director Jarot Widyoko on Monday.

Anies also made a clarification regarding the polemic over the management of water channels, which he believed was stuck in the semantics of naturalization and normalization. According to him, the two terms were essentially the same and meant to restore the maximum capacity of all rivers and water channels. “The approach to every water channel is certainly different because of the specific conditions of the local community and environment. It can’t be generalized,” he said

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Residents affected by flooding in Cipinang Melayu, Makassar, East Jakarta, take shelter at the mosque of Borobudur University on Wednesday (26/2/2020). Floods in a number of areas of Jakarta and surrounding areas the day before forced residents to evacuate.

The central government wants the normalization of rivers and water channels for controlling the runoff rate during rain. Public Works Minister Basuki Hadimuljono hoped that the program would not be hampered by administrative restrictions in provinces and regencies/municipalities.

The ministry manages at least three major rivers in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek): the Cisadane, the Ciliwung and the Citarum. The Ciliwung River alone has 13 tributaries and canals along its route. All three rivers are managed with funds from the State Budget.

River and Coastal Affairs director Jarot Widyoko said each regional administration should review its spatial planning blueprint. In Jakarta, for instance, many areas that had been designated as urban forests 30 years ago were now converted into buildings.

Alleged maladministration

Indonesia Ombudsman chief representative for Greater Jakarta Teguh Nugroho said that no flood complaints had been submitted to the public information system yet. “However, the Ombudsman is conducting rapid assessment. We have divided this into two, flood management and control,” he said.

This indicates that environmental impact analyses (Amdal) have not been conducted in city zones and the lack of supporting environmental infrastructure, so that flooding occurs.

The Ombudsman’s provisional findings include the absence of an early warning system for flooding from heavy rainfall. Jakarta has installed only one early warning system for upstream flooding. Furthermore, flood hazard zones are designated only in areas with national and regional strategic projects. This indicates that environmental impact analyses (Amdal) have not been conducted in city zones and the lack of supporting environmental infrastructure, so that flooding occurs.

On the other hand, the river normalization project has been progressing slowly due to land clearing, as a result of poor documentation and the insufficient funding for the Water Resources Agency.

Then, there is the long lag in connecting to the emergency number, while inter-agency connections are conducted manually, and no updated road maps for Jabodetabek flood control are available.

KOMPAS/MELATI MEWANGI

A man wades though floodwaters beside his inundated house in Karangligar village, West Telukjambe district, Karawang, West Java, Wednesday (26/2/2020). Floods have hit the region since Monday (24/2/2020).

“As a result, there is alleged maladministration. We will propose corrective measures to make improvements. Residents who have incurred losses should file a report so that any alleged maladministration or possible crime can be investigated,” added Teguh.

The head of the BMKG Public Meteorology Center, Fachri Radjab, said on 22 Feb. that an early warning had been issued on the potential for heavy rain on 23-25 Feb. in several regions, including Jabodetabek.

Bekasi worst hit

Bekasi Disaster Control Agency (BPBD) chief executive Adeng Hudaya said that the flooding in Bekasi regency was the biggest disaster of 2020. Flood areas were recorded in 20 of the regency’s 23 districts, with 10,000 families affected by the disaster.

Based on BPBD data through 6 p.m., Jakarta evacuees consisted 1,700 families or 6,309 people in 59 locations. In Tangerang municipality, the local BPBD Emergency and Logistic head, Feby Darmawan, said that floodwaters in 10 out of the 11 subdistricts had receded. (DAN/VAN/IGA/FAI/SHR/DNE/JOG/HLN/CAS/AIK)