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head of the peak of the rainy season, the Jakarta administration, in anticipation of flooding, has teamed up with the Communications and Information Ministry to create a system to broadcast text messages warning residents in areas threatened by floods.

The ministry'€™s director of special communications, public broadcasting and universal obligations, Ismail, said that the text messages would be location-based and would detect GPS systems in smartphones. Messages would be sent to devices located near rivers such as the Ciliwung, Krukut, Angke, Pesanggrahan, Sunter and Cipinang rivers.

'€œIt will be location-based, so as not to cause panic,'€ Ismail said during the system'€™s launch at City Hall on Thursday.

Ismail explained that the ministry would cooperate with the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) to obtain information on the condition of sluice gates across the city. When a sluice gate reaches an alarming level, a text message will be broadcast to people resident in or passing through potentially affected areas.

With the text messages, he said, people would be given time to prepare for eventual flooding.

The peak of the rainy season is expected to occur between Feb. 22 to Feb. 28.

The early warning system, Ismail said, would apply, as well as to flooding, to earthquakes, tsunamis and, in Thousand Islands regency, high tides.

Jakarta BPBD head Denny Wahyu Haryanto said that the city administration would provide information to the ministry on the condition of sluice gates based on real-time monitoring by officers in the field.

There are 12 sluice gates and dams vital to mitigating flooding in the capital, namely Katulampa, Angke Hulu, Cipinang Hulu and Krukut Hulu in Bogor; Depok in West Java; Manggarai and Pesanggrahan in South Jakarta; Karet in Central Jakarta, Sunter Hulu and Pulogadung in East Jakarta; and Pluit Reservoir and Pasar Ikan
in North Jakarta.

When conditions at any of the 12 gates reach high alert, the BPBD will inform the ministry and residents of potentially affected areas. For example, Denny explained, if the Katulampa Dam were on high alert, then several areas in Jakarta would be affected, as rivers including the Ciliwung would be at risk of bursting their banks. The areas which could be affected included Cawang, Bidara Cina and Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta, Rawajati, Kalibata, Kebon Baru and Pejaten Timur in South Jakarta and Pengadegan in West Jakarta, he said.

The BPBD, Denny went on, currently had its own information center providing real-time information not only on the conditions of sluice gates but also on flooding across Jakarta. The information is available for public access at bpbd.jakarta.go.id. However, he said, the new information system would be aimed more specifically at those residents at risk of being affected by floods.

During the launch, Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara also introduced the central government'€™s plan to provide a central emergency number at 112. The number, he said, would not only connect residents in need to the police, but also to the fire agency and health agency in case of fires or health emergencies.

Currently, he said, call centers for government services were separated, such as 110 for the police, 113 for the fire service and 118 for an ambulance from the Jakarta Health Agency.

'€œWe are currently integrating the network of all government services. Therefore, if residents need anything or are just seeking information, they can call the central emergency number at 112,'€ he said.