T

hose living in West Jakarta are in for relief as officials begin to repair residential drains to eliminate standing water and improve the municipality’s sewer system.

Workers from West Jakarta’s Public Works Agency water division began repairing and expanding the sewer system in the densely populated Pekojan subdistrict of Tambora on Monday.

“There are still two neighborhood units that do not have proper drainage systems yet. When rain comes, standing water can easily be found in the areas,” Pekojan subdistrict head Agus Yusuf said.

The new drainage system covered 600 meters along Jl. Bandengan Utara 3, where pools of ankle-deep standing water could usually be found.

Agus said officials had visited the subdistrict to inform residents that some makeshift stalls and terraces would have to be removed to make way for the new sewers.

“We informed the residents, asking them to not build stalls over the drains anymore once their completed,” Agus said.

Tusi, a resident of Pekojan, said she welcomed the project, hoping that it would make the area a little bit cleaner.

“We already had the ditch, and we clean it together every two weeks. But it would be better if the officials cleaned it today, too,” she said.

Similar work was completed in nearby neighborhoods two years ago, although vendors have set up kiosks and stalls on the sewers in the interim.

Sewer repairs are part of the Jakarta administration’s plan to solve problems such as standing water, a vector for mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue fever that usually intensify during rainy season.

The Jakarta administration has allocated Rp 28 billion (US$ 3.1 million) to repair drainage systems in the city’s five municipalities.

Last year, 106 standing water hot spots and 123 flood-prone areas were repaired across the city.

In a $190 million (Rp 1.7 trillion) 5-year project expected to begin by October, the Jakarta administration plans to repair dikes and dredge 11 canals and four reservoirs. It has also proposed allocating Rp 557 billion ($61.27 million) for flood control programs next year, including money to finish the East Flood Canal.

More than 67.5 kilometers of canals and 65 hectares of retention basins are slated for dredging to restore them to their original operating capacities. The project will also reinforce about 42 kilometers of embankments.

The agency claimed that it had reduced the number of flood-prone areas in Jakarta from 78 to 62 locations after dredging local rivers and opening the East Flood Canal in 2009.

The repair sites include Tanjung Duren and Grogol in West Jakarta, Pluit and Pademangan in North Jakarta, Pulo Raya and Cipulir in South Jakarta, Cempaka Putih in Central Jakarta and Pulomas in East Jakarta.