Street vendors defy blame for flood

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 03/24/2008 11:35 AM  |  City

Street vendors on Jl. Sunda and Jl. Agus Salim, Central Jakarta, denied accusations they dumped garbage into sewers causing a blockage that led to the flooding of Jl. M.H. Thamrin and its surrounding area.

"We do understand that throwing garbage into the sewerage can cause a flood, that's why we pile the garbage at several spots," Pramono, who runs a Padang food stall on Jl. Sunda, said Saturday.

He said the piles were collected every day by workers from the sanitary agency.

"We pay the officers monthly for that service. We follow the rules," said Pramono.

On Wednesday, Juaini Yusuf, head of drainage affairs at Central Jakarta's water management agency, said waste thrown by vendors was one of the main causes of the flood.

"Our officers found stacks of plastic bags and boxes, typical examples of waste from vendors, clogging the sewerage," said Yusuf, as quoted by Beritajakarta.com.

He said he would take 'firm' action if the vendors continued to ignore the agency's warnings.

Flooding frequently occurs in the area whenever heavy rain strikes, inundating Jl. MH Thamrin and causing traffic jams on the busy main thoroughfare.

Other contributors to the floodings are the area's relatively low ground surface and poor drainage.

Basah Hernowo, director of forestry and water resource conservation at the National Development Planning Board, said Friday the administration could not just lay the blame on other parties.

"Instead, they should reflect on whether they have done their job in maintaining the drainage facility in the area," he said.

In 2004, the administration allowed a wholesale trading building to be built in the vicinity, occupying more than 14 hectares of land, including part of the Melati dam which serves as a water catchment area.

Tall buildings on the western side of Jl. M.H. Thamrin inhibit a nearby canal that functions to channel rain water into the Krukut river in the north.

Hernowo said he did not know if the administration ever cleaned the drainage ducts located under Jl. M.H. Thamrin or if they ever dredged the canal.

"The administration can talk with the street vendors and ask for their cooperation on the waste problem. It's not like they're impossible to talk to," he said.

The northern part of Jl. Agus Salim, known more popularly by its old name, Jl. Sabang, has more than 500 day-and-night vendors that fill every inch of its sidewalks. (dre)

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