Jakarta, West Java to build dam to ease floods
By Tifa Asrianti
To prepare for flooding in the city, the Jakarta and West Java administrations will carry on with their plan to build the Ciawi dam and replenish reservoirs along the Ciliwung River.
Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said Wednesday the Ciawi dam, located upstream of the Ciliwung River, would prevent flooding in Jakarta as it can reduce the amount of water entering the city. Ciliwung is one of 13 rivers that run through the capital.
“It’s a win-win solution. The Ciawi Dam can serve as a flood gate for Jakarta and a tourist attraction for West Java. The dam can also supply raw water to be processed into potable water for Bogor and Depok,” he told reporters at City Hall.
The central government previously rejected a plan to build the dam, which can contain 50 million cubic meters of water, due to the high cost and risk involved in the project.
The project will require a total of 130 hectares of land, at a cost of Rp 200 million (US$23,809), with construction of the dam requiring an additional Rp 600 billion.
Construction might have to rely on special funds from the central government or a combination of various funding sources, Fauzi said.
Cooperation between the two provinces will have to wait until President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issues an official decree on the integration of Jakarta with the supporting areas of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, Puncak and Cianjur (Jabodetabekpunjur), he added.
“I have sent a letter to the President to accelerate the issuing process because the longer it takes to get the decree, the more the environment will be damaged,” he said.
Of the 200 existing reservoirs along the Ciliwung river, 152 have thus far been replenished, helping improve water catchment along the river.
Besides the dam project, the administration has allocated Rp 30 billion this year for dredging dams, rivers and canals as well as for clearing buildings along rivers to prevent flooding in the city.
Pluit Dam in North Jakarta will soon undergo a one-meter deep dredge, with the administration clearing the dam’s two-kilometer canal, recently occupied by squatters.
West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan said his administration would improve reservoirs and existing dams, in addition to helping construct the Ciawi dam.
According to Ahmad, the cause of flooding in Jakarta dates back to the Dutch colonial government, which deforested the Puncak area, replacing forests with tea plantations.
“The trees that remain, decayed with old age, are unable to absorb rainwater, causing flooding in the city. We have replaced old trees with younger ones,” he added. [The Jakarta Post]
