She recalled that the central government had initiated a plan called National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) to expand the capital area and mitigate flooding.

However, the Jakarta administration’s concept was far from its original purpose, she said.

“There has been no comprehensive development in water management, including improvement of the river basin and normalization of rivers to return them to their original form, while a seawall has not been constructed but islets have been developed,” she said during a discussion at the Corruption Eradication Commission office in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Susi added that the central government was right to request that the National Development Agency (Bappenas) review reclamation projects in North Jakarta as a part of the national project.

“The construction of 17 man-made islets in Jakarta Bay will create 5,100 hectares of new land in the city, therefore, a comprehensive review by Bappenas is crucial,” she said.

Poor river management and the development of islets in North Jakarta will cause the city to experience worse flooding, she added.

“With all development projects in Jakarta, especially in water management, as an environmentally aware person, I say it’s not surprising that the city suffers from flooding. The way it’s designed and constructed make it flood prone,” Susi said. (bbn)

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