Poor drainage blamed for floods

Mon, 02/11/2008 12:02 PM | City

TANGERANG: The Banten provincial administration says it will improve Tangerang city's drainage system to prevent future flooding.

"Clogged drainage was the main cause of flooding in housing complexes. The sewer system could not channel the overflowing Cisadane River after the heavy downpour," Mayor Wahidin Halim was quoted as saying by Antara on Friday.

His office has asked the regional development planning board and the public works agency to dredge or revitalize the drainage system.

The administration has allocated Rp 1.2 trillion (US$127 million) for flood mitigation projects for flood-prone housing complexes during the next five years.

Flooding in Greater Jakarta on Feb. 2 inundated 71 housing complexes in Banten, submerging homes by depths ranging from 50 centimeters to 1.5 meters.

The administration may also evict squatters from riverbanks and clean the rivers to help prevent future flooding. -- JP

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