DPRD Is Disappointed That Anies Cut the Flood Budget

JAKARTA - Several areas in Jakarta were flooding due to the heavy rain in DKI last night. Also, there was water sent from Katulampa Dam, Bogor. Currently, some residents have to flee to higher places.

The Chairman of Commission D for the Development Sector DPRD DKI, Ida Mahampang, regrets the decision of DKI Governor, Anies Baswedan. He cut the budget for flood handling and prevention this year.

"In the APBD that we signed at the end of 2019, there was a reduction in the flooding budget in mid-2020. It was because our PAD (local revenue) did not match the target," said Ida when contacted by VOI, Tuesday, September 22.

Apart from lack of income, said Ida, the flooding budget cuts were also made to allocate the handling of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Even so, Ida didn't know how much the budget cut. Until now, the DKI Provincial Government hasn't submitted the detail of budget adjustments in the 2020 APBD amendments.

"DKI is allocating a budget for COVID-19 handling. However, I always remind them not to reduce the actual flood budget," said Ida.

"I'm worried that during the rainy season, we could face flood risk. It might decrease residents' immunity, and the COVID-19 spread will be wide," Ida continued. 

Moreover, Ida revealed that the budget for flood management has only been disbursed to the Water Resources Office in all administrative cities of DKI. As a result, the river dredging effort was delayed.

"When I checked, there were a lot of operational budgets or supporting dredging work by PJLP of the SDA Sub-dept that didn't exist. Maybe now, the budget is available. So, the sub-departments have just started dredging," said Ida.

Ida asked Anies to immediately disburse all the budget needed for flood management: for cleaning gutters, also dredging rivers and reservoirs.

"I hope that the budget for the dredging of rivers and gutters throughout Jakarta will be disbursed immediately. So, SDA can work optimally," he said.

The DKI Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) noted that several areas were still flooding after the heavy rain in Jakarta. 

At 09.00 WIB, ten public roads in Jakarta were flooded as high as 10-30 centimeters (cm). Then, there were floods in 56 RTs with water levels of 10 cm to 100 centimeters.