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Government questions Anies' plan to solve flooding in Jakarta
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An aerial photograph of Ciliwung Rver in Bukit Duri, South Jakarta, on Oct. 19. (Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan )
T
he Public Works and Housing Ministry's flood control office has questioned Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan about the continuation of a river dredging program to mitigate floods in the capital.
At least five neighborhood units (RT) in South and East Jakarta were inundated on Monday after rain hit the city and caused Ciliwung River to overflow.
The head of the ministry's Ciliwung-Cisadane Flood Control Office (BBWSCC), Jarot Widyoko, said he had delivered a letter to the governor to ask him about the program, given that in August and September the body would start planning its budget for 2019.
The body would not allocate finances to Jakarta if the city administration could not clear the land for river dredging, as happened this year, Jarot said.
However, Anies had yet to respond to the letter, he said.
Jarot went on to suggest that Anies immediately explain Jakarta's river dredging program to him or the public works and housing minister.
“Please tell the minister soon about the plan, so the budget [for the river dredging program] can be allocated,” Jarot said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.
Previously, the plan to dredge Ciliwung and Pesanggrahan rivers was cancelled because the city administration could not acquire the land for the program.
In 2017, the BBWSCC returned the budget of Rp 40 billion (US$2.8 million) because the river dredging program in the capital could not be carried out.
Previously, former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama dredged rivers by relocating residents living on river banks to low-cost apartments.
Anies promised during his campaign that he would not arbitrarily relocate residents. (cal)
