Floods Inundate South Jakarta In Today's Memory, 27 August 2016

The atmosphere when floods hit the Kemang area, South Jakarta. (Between/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)

JAKARTA Memories of today, seven years ago, August 27, 2016, the flood submerged most of South Jakarta. From Kebayoran Baru to Kemang. Floods also caused many activities in South Jakarta to be paralyzed.

Previously, the commitment of the Jakarta leadership to perpetuate the flood prevention program was often tested. Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok), for example. The governor and deputy governor of DKI Jakarta are considered to have many studies in tackling floods.

New hopes accompany the election of Jokowi-Ahok to lead Jakarta. Both are considered saviors so that Jakarta is free from flooding. The trust of Jakarta residents is trying to be fulfilled by Jokowi-Ahok. All kinds of flood prevention efforts are perpetuated. From the construction of Green Open Space (RTH) to the normalization of the Ciliwung River.

The steps that have been perpetuated by the DKI Jakarta government are in fact never easy. Take, for example, the normalization of the Ciliwung River. The power company was forced to carry out an unpopular policy: eviction. Instead of running smoothly, Ahok had to give up Jokowi first to advance as President of Indonesia.

Jokowi's position was later replaced by Ahok. The narrative made Ahok have to rack his brain. He tried to show himself worthy as a leader of DKI Jakarta. Ahok ventured to displace three RWs in Pulo Village, East Jakarta in 2015.

This wish is so that the Ciliwung River can be wide again and accommodate a lot of water volume. Thousands of affected families began to be asked to take the lottery to move to the West Jatinegara Flats. However, the plan received opposition from various parties.

This opposition was due to the reluctance of the DKI Jakarta government to pay compensation to the residents of Kampung Pulo. Ahok thought that compensation was unnecessary because residents did not have a building permit. Ahok's answer actually provoked anger, but the activities of the eviction continued.

The RTH dissati of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government under Ahok's leadership by repurchasing land so that it can be used to build green open space. Apart from green open space, the DKI Provincial Government even plans to build a Blue Open Space (RTB), namely building reservoirs for water reservoirs.

For Ahok, river normalization is a rational solution that must be taken. For this purpose, the place where residents who inhabit the riverbank area have to be evicted, and Ahok compensates for their residence in the flats that have been provided," explained Rafif Pamenang Imawan in the book Sudah Senja in Jakarta (2020).

All kinds of Ahok's studies in tackling Jakarta may have been accelerated. However, all of these agendas were silenced by the massive floods that hit Jakarta one year after the eviction of Kampung Pulo, or to be precise, August 27, 2016.

The continuous rain has flooded many places in Jakarta. South Jakarta, especially. Floods hit 39 RWs in 15 urban villages 8 sub-districts in South Jakarta. From Kebayoran Baru to Kemang. The flood affected tens of thousands of people in South Jakarta. This problem has left Ahok's entire efforts to tackle Jakarta to the fullest.

"There are 39 RWs in 15 sub-districts 8 sub-districts in South Jakarta that were flooded. A total of 10,538 families or 31,622 people were directly affected by the floods, and there were no evacuations due to flooding. Many houses and vehicles were trapped by floods," said Head of the BNPB Information and Public Relations Data Center Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, as quoted by Kompas.com, August 27, 2016.