Experts focus on drainage

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 02/14/2007 5:16 PM  |  Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A prominent property expert has called on the Jakarta administration to set a tougher drainage system policy for residential areas to minimize the impact of flooding.

The call was made after some of Greater Jakarta's elite housing areas suffered serious floods last week.

""The severe flooding inundating housing complexes is also due to their poor drainage system. The administration needs to check on the planned drainage system before granting permits to developers,"" property consultant Panangian Simanungkalit told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Currently, developers are required to set aside 40 percent of a complex's total area for the public and social facilities, which include drainage systems.

""But it is up to the developers to set on the total area and design of drainage system. There must be a standard, integrated drainage system,"" Simanungkalit said.

He added that the administration must regularly monitor the implementation of environmental impact analyses (Amdal) by developers to protect residents.

""It is the weak point of our administration. They issue Amdals but they never monitor them and take action against violators.""

Property developers said they designed drainage systems themselves because there were no standard specifications.

""But as developer, we calculate it well because we have long-term interests in the area,"" Harun Hajadi, of Ciputra property developers, said.

He said that developers were also required to set aside green zones, particularly in housing complexes in South Jakarta.

The administration has declared the South Jakarta area the city's water catchment zone and only allows development on 20 percent of its area, although more areas have been opened to residential complexes, such as Cilandak Utara, Ragunan and Kebagusan.

Flooding is also a main issue in South Jakarta as four rivers run through the municipality, the Ciliwung, Krukut, Ragunan and Kali Baru rivers.

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