Anies Asked Luhut's Help To Prevent Floods From Upstream, Deputy Governor Riza: As Pak Jokowi Said When Governor

DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and DKI Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria (DOK. Instagram Anies Baswedan)

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI, Ahmad Riza Patria, admitted that DKI Governor Anies Baswedan met with the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan to ask for help overcoming the Jakarta floods.

According to Deputy Governor Riza, Anies and Luhut discussed the need for central government support to stem the flow of water from the upstream (Bogor, Depok and Banten) flowing downstream (Jakarta).

"The problem of flooding is one of the solutions in our opinion as conveyed by Pak Jokowi. This means that if Jakarta does not want flooding, one of which is that we block the flow of water from the upstream," said Riza at the City Hall of DKI, Central Jakarta, Friday, March 12.

Currently, the PUPR Ministry is building two reservoirs in the upstream area, namely Ciawi and Sukamahi Reservoir. This reservoir contributes to minimizing 11 percent of Jakarta's floods.

In the future, Riza hopes that the central government will rebuild water reservoirs in the upstream area. Because, Riza admitted that he agreed with Jokowi's statement when he was still the Governor of DKI.

At the beginning of 2013, Jokowi thought that the flood problem in the capital could not be solved alone. There must be assistance from the buffer zone to minimize dispatched water coming to Jakarta.

"Hopefully in the future, with the meeting (Anies and Luhut), everyone will follow what Pak Jokowi said when he was governor. One solution to overcoming flooding is not only to widen the river, but block the water upstream," he said.

On Wednesday, March 10, Anies visited Luhut's office. To Luhut, Anies discussed the problem of regional development and the acceleration of infrastructure development in DKI Jakarta. This was revealed by Luhut in uploading the Instagram account luhut.pandjaitan.

"Pak Luhut, I come to you with a menu of problems," said Anies, quoted by Luhut in his Instagram account.

"I answered 'no problem sir, we can solve it. As long as it has to be integrated'," replied Luhut.

Luhut said, Anies asked for support from the local government regarding three main problems for the DKI Provincial Government, especially flood control in the capital.

Luhut admitted that the causes and types of flooding in Jakarta are quite diverse, namely tidal floods, embankments and river overflows.

He conveyed to Anies the need for flood control in the upstream, in the capital, activation of pump houses, and how to make drainage in the capital city function properly.

"What is no less important is that the handling of garbage and waste in Jakarta is carried out appropriately. If all of these things are done simultaneously, I think we can overcome floods in Jakarta," said Luhut.