Deputy Minister Of Public Works Diana Kusumastuti Appointed As Head Of The Jabodetabek Flood Control Team

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Pratikno formed a special flood control team in the Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi and Cianjur (Jabodetabekjur) areas.

Pratikno appointed Deputy Minister of Public Works (PU) Diana Kusumastuti as team leader.

The decision was taken in a flood control coordination meeting attended by various ministries, institutions and a number of regional leaders at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture office, Jakarta, today.

"We will immediately form a team tasked with formulating in detail concrete actions to prevent disaster risk in the field and at the same time carry out monitoring and evaluation. It was agreed that the candidate, the head of his team, the Deputy Minister of Public Works, and its members, various echelons 1 from each ministry/institution, including local governments," said Pratikno as quoted from his written statement, Thursday, March 27.

Pratikno said flood control and management in the Jabodetabek area and its surroundings must be carried out more synergically, comprehensively and integrated from upstream to downstream by involving all stakeholders.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Diana explained, flood control needs to be carried out both structurally and non-structurally.

Structural handling itself can be done through infrastructure development that has been carried out by the Ministry of Public Works, including the construction of the Ciawi Sukamahi Dam, Sindangheula, Sentiong Pump and Ciliwung Sodetan East Flood Canal and flood control in the Ciliwung River, Cisadane, Bekasi River, three Cikeas Rivers, Cileungsi, Sabi and Cidurian River.

Meanwhile, for non-structural handling that has been carried out by the Ministry of Public Works, including community empowerment for river care, controlling illegal buildings on river and irrigation boundaries, cleaning up garbage in flood control infrastructure, tracing critical embankments and making floating and forecasting early warning systems.

"The most important thing we will do is complete the construction of the embankment, which until now in DKI Jakarta still leaves 16.5 kilometers and also for Bekasi it still needs 19.6 kilometers," said Diana.

"We will also build retention ponds in the Bekasi, Ciujung and Cidurian watersheds as well as revitalization of lakes and rivers," he added.

Deputy Minister of Public Works Diana said, before the limited meeting, she had met with the governors of Jakarta, West Java and Banten to the Minister of ATR/BPN to discuss the flood control plan.

The results of the meeting agreed to form a memorandum of agreement on flood management in the provinces of DKI Jakarta and West Java, to prepare a follow-up matrix for the agreement with flood management in the Greater Jakarta area and there will be a revision of the Spatial and Regional Plan (RTRW) for flood control, irrigation areas, situ and dams.

"Through the meeting, we, the central and regional governments, are committed to strengthening collaboration and the integration of flood management in Jabodetabek, especially to solve land acquisition problems, embankment construction and regional spatial planning," he concluded.