Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The floods that have plagued Jakarta for the past three weeks have claimed more than 30 lives and forced more than 380,000 people to take refuge. However, the magnitude of the recent disaster was not reflected in a hearing between the government and the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

Three governors – Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, West Java Governor R. Nuriana and Banten Governor Hakamuddin Djamal – were absent and only represented by their deputies at the hearing, although the House had scheduled them to attend. Jakarta Protocol Office did not include the hearing on the governor's schedule on Wednesday.

Sutiyoso tried hard to avoid reporters at City Hall, following reports of his possession of a villa in the nearby mountain resort of Puncak. After meeting his guests, he quickly entered his office, ignoring reporters who tried to approach him.

The Ministry of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure, the Ministry of Forestry and the Office of the State Minister of the Environment were represented by their senior officials. Officials from two other agencies – the National Land Agency (BPN) and the National Aeronautical and Space Agency (LAPAN) – also attended the hearing.

Chairman of House Commission IV for development affairs, Herman Suparno, had to delay the hearing for 30 minutes from the original time of 9 a.m. to wait for other legislators who arrived late. Only half of around 50 members of the commission attended the hearing. The main agenda was to discuss the recent floods but apparently just 15 of the legislators remained in the room until the close of the meeting. The four-and-a-half-hour hearing did not even provide an opportunity for representatives of Bogor, Cianjur and Tangerang regencies, mayoralties to inform the House on the calamity.

However, officials from the provinces and regencies believed that a comprehensive approach would be needed to solve the capital's flood problems. They said the poor environmental situation in Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur, West Java, was responsible for the worsening floods in the capital, as heavy rainfall in the areas would flow directly to Ciliwung River.

Data from the Office of the State Minister of the Environment show an increasing amount of erosion in the area, with around 400 tons of earth per hectare being swept down Ciliwung River every year.

Tangerang regency in Banten also plays an important role in dealing with the floods, as the plan to connect Ciliwing River to Cisadane River, which passes through Tangerang, must be approved by its administration. The project is expected to reduce the water level of Ciliwung River during the rainy season.

So far, the plan has been rejected by Tangerang's public and its councillors, fearing that connecting the Ciliwung and Cisadane rivers would cause more flooding in Jakarta.

Banten deputy governor Ratu Atut Choisiah said she needed to discuss the proposed project with other leaders in the province.

West Java Deputy Governor Deden Ruchlia said that the Jakarta administration could no longer dictate to West Java, particularly Bogor and Cianjur regencies, and take action without negotiation. "Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur will no longer act as lower partners to Jakarta. With regional autonomy, we are now equal partners to Jakarta," he added.