Stories Of Kampung Melayu Residents Facing Floods: Standby 3 Just Ordinary, Alert 1 Residents Clean Up Furniture

One of the residents' houses on the edge of the Ciliwung river/Photo: Rizky Sulistio/ VOI

JAKARTA - The densely populated residential area on the banks of the Ciliwung river, Jalan Kebon Pala II, Kampung Melayu Village, Jatinegara District, East Jakarta is often hit by floods. Besides being on the banks of rivers, this area also has low land contours.

If the Ciliwung River starts to overflow due to the flow of water from the upstream sector, the river water will run off into residential areas in the Kampung Melayu Village area. Water usually submerges two RWs in the area.

"If there is a big flood in RW 04 there are 11 RTs that are affected, in RW 05 around 4 RTs namely; RT 11, 10 and 6," said Head of RT 13/04, Kampung Melayu Village, Sanusi to reporters, Wednesday, November 3. .

Local residents consider flooding is normal. If there is an early warning of Siaga 3 from BPBD, no residents will evacuate to a safer place.

"(if) Alert 3, none of them have evacuated because they are used to it. But, Alert 1 has evacuated and even then (only) toddlers and the elderly," he said.

Sanusi said, if the warning was on alert 1, then residents would only clean up the furniture.

"If the alert is 1, the flood can reach a depth of 3 meters to the next. It depends on the rainfall and in Bogor (delivery)," said the man who has lived in Kebon Pala for 50 years.

Because it has become a regular flood almost every year, Sanusi said that flooding is not a new thing.

"(if there is a flood) our residents are not surprised anymore. It's normal, even children aged 5 years are released by their parents to bathe in floods," he said.

Similarly, Aput (65), a resident who lives right on the banks of the Ciliwung River, RT 11/05, Kebon Pala area. According to my grandfather, who has lived on the banks of this river for 25 years, floods currently occur almost every year in his area.

"When I was young, there were flash floods (only) every 5 years. Nowadays, big floods are almost every year," he told VOI at a location on the banks of the Ciliwung River, Wednesday, November 3.

Aput said that the current flood problem is due to the silting of the Ciliwung River base.

"It's getting shallower every year (here), while the rainfall in Bogor is high. Because in the past, the condition of the river was not shallow. Now there is one alert every year," he said in a surprised tone.

Aput assessed that the flood problems that often hit his settlements, one of which was due to the narrowing of river land and silting were the main factors.

"Hope depends on the government, because as citizens we must obey government rules," said Aput.

Separately, the Village Head of Kampung Melayu Angga Harjuno said the government is trying to overcome inundation and flooding in the area, especially during the current rainy season. Rainfall gauges are also used as a warning system for rain to fall and water delivery from the upstream sector.

"We are ready and prepared," he said.