Will Use BTT Funds Ahead Of The Substitution Of The Year, Acting Governor Of DKI: Don't Let The 2020 Flood Repeat

JAKARTA - Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Teguh Setyabudi plans to disburse emergency funds taken from unexpected spending (BTT) for flood prevention ahead of the turn of 2024-2025.

Given, Jakarta is predicted to experience another large flood that usually hits once every five years. The last five-year flood occurred in early 2020, where the rainfall at that time reached 377 mm per day or three times greater than the capacity of the drainage system in Jakarta.

"If the macro channel is only able to reach 150 mm per day, and the supporting channel is 100 mm per day, if the rainfall is more than that, like in 2020, it will definitely have extraordinary flooding," said Teguh at DKI Jakarta City Hall, Tuesday, December 17.

The BTT funds, according to Teguh, will be used for weather modification technology (TMC). Teguh is worried that the budget belonging to the DKI Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) will not be enough to carry out TMC operations ahead of the turn of the year.

This is because BPBD has a TMC budget for 2024 of IDR 4.19 billion. The DKI Provincial Government has spent part of the budget for TMC on December 7-9 and December 12-15, 2024 and leaves a budget of IDR 1.3 billion.

"This is about 1.3 M as well, maybe enough only for a maximum of 3 days. Because 1 day is approximately 2 or 4 sorties. So maybe for example we do it after the 20th, we will see the needs," he said.

On that basis, BTT funds are needed for additional TMC operations. However, the DKI Provincial Government previously had to establish a disaster emergency response status, with central government permits, before being able to use BTT funds.

Teguh has communicated with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) regarding the plan to disburse BTT funds to anticipate the impact of the 5-year flood, as predicted by BMKG.

"If it is urgent, because BTT needs a kind of emergency response statement, of course we will also make the basis of what was conveyed by the Head of BMKG. We have also coordinated, at that time the Head of BNPB immediately came. 'Mr. PJ, later we will manage it together,'" explained Teguh.

"Don't let the floods in Jakarta repeat itself in 2020. Well, if everything is committed, God willing, which previously needed time, we can overcome all of this. Our BTT funds are still sufficient to do that," he added.