Sutiyoso sure water taxi is a winner

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As Sutiyoso's time as governor draws to a close, the people around him are working against time to ensure his plan to establish an inland water transportation system gets off the ground by the middle of the year.

City transportation agency head Nurachman said Friday the water taxi's Ciliwung River route -- from Karet in Central Jakarta to Manggarai sluice gate in South Jakarta was a well-chosen pilot program to gauge the appeal of water-based transportation.

"We hope passengers can try out the 4.2-kilometer route as early as June," he told The Jakarta Post.

"The city public works agency is currently in the process of repairing the West Flood Canal, which intercepts the Ciliwung, to make way for the water taxi service."

The administration has so far built water taxi stops in Karet Belakang, Dukuh Atas and PD PAL Jaya subdistricts.

The administration also plans to construct riverbank stations, where passengers will be able to make ticket purchases.

The type of vessels that will be employed has yet to be announced.

Despite his deputy, Fauzi Bowo, challenging the suitability of the system given the fact that many of the city's rivers are silted up with mud and rubbish, Sutiyoso is convinced it's a good way to ease traffic congestion on city streets. He is determined to see the service offered before his term ends in July.

Ciliwung River is the largest of the 13 rivers that cut through the capital.

All 13 rivers are seriously polluted.

The Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) said the water taxi service could actually improve the state of the city's rivers.

"We would constantly be monitoring the water quality and would certainly make it a priority to get rid of the stench. We're also planning to landscape the banks so commuters can enjoy a nice view," said Ridwan Panjaitan, the head of air pollution control at the agency.

The water taxi service is part of the city's integrated MRT project, comprising also the busway, subway and monorail systems.

Sutiyoso's first project, the busway, was launched two years ago.

There are currently seven corridors linking a number of areas of the city. Another eight corridors are under construction.

The monorail, meanwhile, will comprise two lines -- the green line and the blue line -- and cost an estimated US$650 million.

The 14.3-kilometer green line will run through Central Jakarta and South Jakarta, from Jl. Rasuna Said and Jl. Gatot Subroto to the Sudirman business district, and then to Senayan, Jl. Pejompongan and back to Jl. Rasuna Said.

The blue line will link Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta to Roxy, West Jakarta.

Meanwhile, the planned subway would run from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta, to Kota in West Jakarta.

It is expected to cost US$800 million.

City 'can't go it alone' on flood control master plan

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It is now one of the most frequently put questions: "Does the Jakarta administration have a drainage and flood mitigation master plan?"

The answer is, yes.

"But it's been difficult to materialize ... We expected the central government to take it over," city secretary Ritola Tasmaya said Thursday during a meeting with the Regional Representatives Council.

The master plan -- consisting of a land-structuring control system; drainage system repair; sluice gate and artificial lake construction; river dredging and the relocation of riverside residential areas -- was drafted in 2002, after a huge flood hit the city.

Besides the difficulties of putting the plan into practice without the full support of the administrations of the upland cities of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, the plan was delayed due to the change of government in 2004, Ritola said.

He said the project, which required a total investment of Rp 18.2 trillion, should be taken over by the central government to spare it from the same fate as the East Flood Canal project, which was initially scheduled for completion this year, but was delayed until 2010 due to unforeseen problems, including budget cuts and the complicated process of land acquisition.

The drainage plan was drafted more than 20 years ago, but it focuses only on releasing floodwater as fast as possible into the sea.

The plan, made available to The Jakarta Post, shows the 13 rivers that run through the river blocked by huge canals that stop them from reaching low-lying areas.

The drainage system includes the Dutch-built West Flood Canal, the East Flood Canal and Cengkareng Drain.

"The canals would intercept floodwater from all rivers before it reached low-lying areas," said I Gede Nyoman Soewandi, the head of the Jakarta Public Works Agency's water resources development division.

The reconstruction of the more than 60-year-old canals will increase their capacity, he added.

The master plan, reworked by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, shows the only way to utilize rainwater for the purposes of effective urban water control is to protect lakes in southern Jakarta.

Asked whether the administration would revise the master plan due to the sharp decrease in water catchment areas both in Jakarta and its supporting regions, I Gede Nyoman acknowledged the administration was facing difficulties in realizing it.

"Even if we landscaped a one-kilometer stretch of the river, there would be a five-km section that had been damaged by human activity. That's why we've set no deadline for realizing the plan.

"The riverbanks are getting more crowded, forcing land prices up. The rivers have lost their ability to reestablish their natural functions"

The total length of rivers in the city is about 500 km.

The administration has conceded being late to establish drainage strategies to accommodate the volume of water entering the city from upland areas.

Only 2.9 percent of Jakarta has been utilized for its drainage system, lower than the recommended 8 percent.

Environmentalists say the lack of green space in the city has increased the flood risk.

Green areas account for 5,911 hectares or 9 percent of city land.

The administration plans to make 9,544 hectares, or 13.94 percent of city land, open and green space by 2010.

Governor Sutiyoso said the diminishing catchment areas in Bogor, Puncak and Depok had also contributed to the recent flood, which left 70 percent of the capital under water.

Residents get wind of sluice gate rumors

Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Head pounding, Cengkareng sluice gate operator Syaifuddin was trying to catch some shut-eye after three nights on his feet when 30 or more residents of Rawa Buaya in West Jakarta stormed into his house.

Frustrated by the extent of the flood damage to their homes, they insisted that Syaifuddin opened the sluice gate wider.

"Look at that," he said, indicating the cables that held the gate. "It has been pulled to the max."

Realizing they were not going to get very far, the residents retreated, muttering to themselves that the gate operator had been bribed by the residents of a riverside housing complex.

"People have been demanding we go to the Cengkareng Drain and force the operator to open the gate," said H. Mahmud, a neighborhood unit chief in Rawa Buaya, two days after the incident.

"They have been led to believe the flood is worse than the last major inundation in 2002 because the gate was not fully opened."

"Luckily I've been able to talk some sense in to them -- they can see for themselves that it (the gate) has been opened," Mahmud said.

Five years ago, when many areas of the city were affected by floods, including Rawa Buaya, rumors swirled that residents of Pantai Indah Kapuk had bribed the operator not to let extra water flow into their area.

Fauzi, who lives right beside Cengkareng Drain, said Army officers had guarded the gate in 2002.

"But, this time round, we know for sure the gate has been open since Saturday."

All rumors aside, there are obvious connections between the land surface characteristics of Pantai Indah Kapuk and the movement of the floodwaters.

The complex lies in a former conservation zone. As the land was converted from woodlands to residential area it lost its ability to absorb water.

Flood control structures and a sewer system -- the ponder system -- were built to aid in removing excess rainwater from the complex. While this protected the complex, it increased the risk of flooding elsewhere.

The conflict is similar to the argument between residents of Kelapa Gading and Sunter -- both in North Jakarta -- in 2002, over whether the sluice gate at Sunter would be opened.

Then, there were also rumors of a manufacturing company hiring Army officers to guard the gate.

While the phrase "money talks" is true of Jakarta, relying on hearsay can be just as dangerous as the flood itself.

"In times like this, we just do not know who or what to believe," Mahmud said. "I think it was only natural for residents to be angered by such rumors."

Sociologist Imam B. Prasodjo criticized the authorities for failing to professionally manage information in times of disaster.

"People must constantly be updated during a situation like this," he said. "Otherwise, they jump to the wrong conclusions."

"That is what we get when the body that handles disaster is managed by politicians and not professionals."