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Surviving on our own: The people who made their own flood-warning system
Unable to rely on a government warning system and assistance, villagers from a flood-prone area in Bekasi take matters into their own hands.
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Puarman, seen here, started a system to warn people in his neighborhood of incoming floods. It has grown to be used by residents of surrounding West Java areas. (Courtesy of Fanny Kusuwardhani/Fanny Kusuwardhani)
H
eavy rainfall was pouring down in Bekasi on the first weekend of February 2021. Sitting at home, 45-year old cake businessman Dudung began receiving a flurry of new messages on his phone.
"P2C: Siaga Dua", read one.
P2C (Pertemuan Sungai Cileungsi-Cikeas) refers to the area where the Cileungsi and Cikeas rivers meet, forming a confluence called the Bekasi River. "Siaga Dua" (standby two) means that water from the river will likely overflow onto the road.
It was a warning he is familiar with, but was still terrifying. Dudung’s family lived just 3 meters away from the embankment.
"I drove my car out and parked it at the Bogor Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD)," Dudung told The Jakarta Post.
Thankfully the flooding was not severe like the one in January 2020 in Bekasi, which killed nine people. Still, Dudung's house was surrounded by water while his neighbors’ homes were completely flooded.
"Water reached knee-level outside my house,” Dudun said. This is considered good news.
