Another Look At Ahok Ways Of Handling Floods In Jakarta

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama aka Ahok (Photo: Instagram @basukibtp)

JAKARTA - Floods in several areas have made DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan in the spotlight. In fact, netizens had time to compare the former Minister of Education and Culture with Basuki Tjahja Purnama alias Ahok who served as Governor of DKI Jakarta from 2014 to 2017.

During Ahok's leadership, netizens felt that the program he presented was more useful for tackling floods.

The hashtag #Ahok until Sunday, February 21 at 1.58 WIB has been tweeted by 11.2 thousand people. One that includes this hashtag is PDI Perjuangan (PDIP) politician, Budiman Sudjatmiko, @budimandjatmiko.

"Ahok (blasphemous and abusive), several points flooded when he finished his position before being arrested? Anies (Santun), how many points of the flood now? Because that's how they are distinguished when DKI residents have to vote in 2017. It's really ***", he tweeted.

Ahok ("blasphemer" & "rude"): how many points did he flood when he finished his position (before being arrested)? Anies ("polite"): How many points of the flood are there now? Because that's how they are differentiated when DKI residents have to vote in 2017. really nonsense! https://t.co/T7VRZqFpAq

- Budiman Sudjatmiko (IG: budimaninovator) (@budimandjatmiko) February 20, 2021

So how does Ahok solve the flood problem in Jakarta?

When serving as the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Ahok paid full attention to the floods that often hit the capital, including by offering a policy of normalizing all rivers and reservoirs. This program is said to be able to solve the problem of floods that often hit.

River normalization is carried out by deepening the river and building embankments so that it can accommodate more water sent from Katulampa Dam, Bogor, West Java.

According to him, water in rivers and reservoirs can overflow if the rain continues to flush. Moreover, if rivers and reservoirs function as reservoirs, their capacity is reduced due to the large number of buildings standing on them and on their edges.

As a result, this normalization program is known as the eviction of settlements along the riverbanks. Because, at that time Ahok expanded and furthermore, the edge of the river was concreted so that water could be collected.

Even so, he did not carelessly place the evicted residents. Because, after being evicted they were moved to a flat.

As previously reported, Ahok gave advice to Anies Baswedan to deal with floods in DKI Jakarta which occurred due to heavy rains that occurred on Friday, February 19. He suggested that all parties move extra and faster.

Not only the provincial government, said Ahok, the central government through the Ciliwung Cisadane River Basin (BBWSCC), namely the PUPR (Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing) must immediately normalize the river. Meanwhile, DKI Jakarta, emphasized Ahok, must improve its watersheds (DAS).

"The name is normalization of watersheds (DAS). If you want to return to the original form of the DAS (the maximum waterway), all the buildings that have to be in the watershed area will be demolished", Ahok told VOI.

This is the basis for him often to control buildings in the river basin while he was still the seat of Governor of DKI Jakarta.

"We were forced to demolish, let alone houses without permission and occupy the DAS," he said.

He also has a way out for the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to carry out this program. One of them is by providing flats. "Just provide a lot of affordable flats. Owned for life, the right to live and pay is cheap", he said.

The commissioner of PT Pertamina said that this method was more effective than asking people with an uncertain salary to buy a house with a down payment of 0 percent.

"People are told to buy (with) UMP salaries, let alone an uncertain salary. Which one can afford to buy a 0 percent house? Many houses are empty of selling 0 percent interest, let alone 0 percent DP (deal price). Where can the UMP salary be the main installments", he explained.

If all this is done well, he is sure that there will be no more flooding in Jakarta. The point is, Ahok said, just follow the existing program.

Moreover, this program is not Joko Widodo or Ahok's program. The program, he said, has even existed since Fauzi Bowo's time as Governor of DKI Jakarta and since Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) became president.

"Jakarta is different from the regions. Candidates for regional heads have to think about the programs. Because generally there is no study yet. In DKI everything is complete. We just have to be brave or not run the existing programs and if there is no change in the study of the existing programs. "Just do it. Everything is done to clean up transportation, flooding and administering social justice. It's not a matter of being popular or not. It's a matter of carrying out duties in accordance with the oath of office and professionalism or not while in office", he concluded.