Infiltration Wells Are Less Effective In Overcoming Jakarta Floods

Workers completed the construction of infiltration wells in the Tebet area, Jakarta, Wednesday (11/24/2021). ANTARA PHOTOS/Indrianto Eko Suwarso/wsj.

JAKARTA - City planning observer from Trisakti University, Yayat Supriatna assesses that the infiltration well program is less effective in dealing with flooding in Jakarta because most of the land in the capital is saturated and cannot absorb water.

"The level of effectiveness is not optimal. Soil conditions in Jakarta are already saturated, such as North Jakarta, and Central Jakarta," Yayat said at the DKI Jakarta DPRD building as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, October 13.

However, according to him, because the infiltration well program has already started with a large budget, at least Yayat hopes that the DKI Provincial Government is able to take another approach to make the infiltration well more useful.

"The approach is to approach the Land Center, which has data on areas where infiltration is still good. So the infiltration well approach, if possible, is based on data on soil conditions. Can the land absorb it? just a reservoir," he said.

Yayat assessed that the elected Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono, must evaluate the infiltration well program to overcome flooding in Jakarta.

"Later, Heru Budi will evaluate whether the infiltration well will be continued or not. If it is good, continue, if not stop," he said.

At least according to Yayat, the Acting Governor can stop programs that are considered not to have good effectiveness in dealing with floods in Jakarta, so that the next governor will be helped to immediately build new, better programs to deal with floods.

"So in order not to become a burden for the next governor, it is better to evaluate. So the task of the Acting Governor is to evaluate what is being done effectively to anticipate the threat of flooding or not," he said.

After going through the evaluation, he believes there will be transparency of achievements that will be opened by the relevant Regional Work Units (SKPD).

"If it is not effective, for example, it could be budget savings and directed at more realistic work," he said.

Previously, in the 2023-2026 Regional Government Draft (RPD) document which was signed by the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, it was stated that the condition of DKI Jakarta Province was vulnerable to flooding and inundation. rivers within its territory.

Therefore, in dealing with floods, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government no longer only makes or straightens the flow of rivers with concrete construction (sheetpile).

According to the RPD, the water flowing from the south of Jakarta to the north estuary of Jakarta can be retained longer through the construction of dams and increasing infiltration wells in the southern area of ​​Jakarta.

"The function of the reservoir in the future is not only as a flood control reservoir or retention reservoir, but can also be used as a reservoir

utilized or managed to become a source of raw water or become a new source of energy for the benefit of the people of Jakarta," wrote the RPD signed by Anies Baswedan on June 10.