Most water pumps broken in W. Jakarta

JAKARTA: More than two-thirds of the water pumps located across 23 flood-prone areas in West Jakarta do not function properly, increasing the risk of flooding in the coming wet season.

"It's not easy to stop flooding in West Jakarta. We need more funding and better coordination on a variety of issues, one of which is having sufficient pumping capability," said Puji Utomo, head of the programs and information unit at the water resource agency of West Jakarta municipality, on Friday, as quoted by beritajakarta.com.

Only the pumps in the Wijaya Kusuma area are working well, while those in Palmerah are still under construction, Puji added, admitting some areas were still in danger of flooding, such as Pesanggrahan and Semanan subdistricts. Other parts of the city are at lower risk than last year including Wijaya Kusuma, Pinangsia and Rawa Buaya subdistricts.

West Jakarta Mayor Djoko Ramadhan said the administration had been trying to dig out drains, clean up rivers, repair pumps and inform the public about keeping river and drains clear of garbage. -- JP