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Jakarta: Floating on Flood

IndonesiaReininta Sylvania, Global Jaya International School
April 9, 2011

NEWS

Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono and Jakarta’s Governor Fauzi Bowo had the opportunity to float on a boat along the garbage-filled Ciliwung River, Jakarta on February 12 last year. They were monitoring the nearby citizens’ efforts in preparing for the would-be flood reported to be rushing in early next day.

Why should these two important figures have to personally inspect the conditions of the area?

The river, along with twelve others, flow naturally through Indonesia’s capital and were once depended on to prevent floods during heavy rains and tides. They lost their reliability when waste- produced by human activity and thrown into the river- began blocking the water flow. Consequently, floods nowadays are regarded as habitual occurrences immediately following downpours.

In contrast to the frequent engulfment throughout 2010, this year the city appears to see new hope. The rather infrequent rains considerably reduced flooding, while vice governor Prijanto’s flood mitigation system began construction.

The plan consists of repairing 15 water absorbent locations in Central Jakarta, 5 locations in North Jakarta, 6 locations in East Jakarta, 11 locations in South Jakarta, and 19 locations in West Jakarta. The total budget for the program is estimated at Rp 102.4 billion ($US11.8 million).

Suryadi, resident of Pasar Rumput, South Jakarta said, “This area used to be engulfed in floods often, but since the beginning of intensive sewer-cleaning by the neighborhood in 2009, I’ve seen notable improvements, particularly on the intervals between flood occurrences. Although heavy rains still cause some overflow, they are not as high as they always were.” Suryadi admits that he could not get proper sleep during floods, which could sometimes hinder his occupation as a driver.

The key lies in the neighborhood teamwork to collectively clean the local sewers. Indeed, Waluyo, a member of the committee responsible for overseeing the bi-monthly activity in his area, shows his satisfaction in the community’s success. “This is something we should do ourselves, while the government should do what they can. It’s a matter of cooperation between the government and the people.” Waluyo, who has suffered from material loss due to floods, happily reports that he no longer has to worry.
However, some people may still lack incentive. Tarno, who lives nearby Ciliwung, admits that he throws household waste into the river. “Where else would you throw them?”

Such people deeply concern Laili Kurniati, an Environmental Studies teacher at Global Jaya International School, Bintaro. She is doing the best she can to educate students regarding the threats posed by people’s attitudes to water in Jakarta, although she confessed she is not really sure as to her effectiveness. “Even the students here, who can be considered as well-educated people, sometimes have troubles with discipline, particularly when it comes to garbage.”

When asked about the policies to combat these problems in Jakarta, she said the hindrance does not lie in the law; it’s in the law enforcement. “Not a lot of people seem to care about this problem. Citizens and the police – it’s already become an awful habit.”

In response, Hidayat, another educator, said, “I believe that making sure the school environment stays litter-free should literally be written in the principal and the teachers’ job descriptions. It may sound silly, but the problem here is that some educators just don’t fully fathom the roles they need to fulfill. Instill discipline? Well, throwing rubbish in the right place is considered as one.”

Hidayat strongly believes that the people in Jakarta can no longer afford to have such ignorant acts worsen the water crisis in the city. It all comes back to individual discipline; only then can the government and the people go hand-in-hand to properly tackle this issue.


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