Jakarta – Cawang Pulo in Kampung Melayu district was under water again Tuesday morning, just a few days after floodwaters reached the two-meter mark Sunday.

Tuesday's flooding receded substantially by late afternoon and some residents were able to begin the task of clearing away debris.

The flooding caused minor damage to some homes in the area. Many residents hung tablecloths and clothes out to dry on fences, while dozens of chairs, tables and couches were left to dry on a nearby public badminton court.

Cawang Pulo community unit chief Mohammad Harris said the floods were caused by rainwater running into the area from outside Jakarta. "If you come here tomorrow, there will probably be another flood," he said.

The Cawang Pulo area regularly floods due to its low elevation and its proximity to the Ciliwung River, which often bursts its banks during the rainy season. Mohammad said floods in the area had become more regular since 2002.

In 2002, wide-scale flooding in the city caused trillions of rupiah in damage. The city was hit by another massive flood five years later in 2007, which also caused extensive damage and losses.

Experts have blamed the floods on substandard city planning, including a lack of designated green zones and the excessive construction of apartment buildings. "I remember some time ago when the river was 30 meters wide. Now it is barely eight meters wide," Mohammad said.

Cawang Pulo neighborhood unit chief Hendria Nevi said moving residents away from the area to widen the river was not an alternative.

"Many of them are grocery vendors or small-time businessmen. They are poor people," she said. "It would be inhuman to simply throw them onto the streets."

Meanwhile, East Jakarta municipal office spokesperson John Jefferson said little could be done to prevent further flooding in East Jakarta. He said the greatest chance of preventing flooding in the area was with the construction of the East Flood Canal. "People are rejecting the idea of moving squatters to low-cost apartments but the Ciliwung River is uncontrollable."

The East Flood Canal is to be a horseshoe-shaped canal designed to collect water from small rivers, including the Cipinang Canal, Cakung Canal and Jati Kramat Canal.

The project is yet to commence as the administration has faced various hurdles in relation to land acquisition. As of Oct. 26 this year, only 7.7 kilometers of land had been acquired from a total of 23.5 kilometers needed for the project.

Several experts have criticized the plan, claiming that the construction of the canal is a half-hearted attempt by the city administration to overcome flooding in the area.

Mohammad Danisworo from the Center for Urban Studies at Bandung's Institute of Technology said the construction of the canal itself would not solve Jakarta's flood problems as it could only absorb 10 to 15 percent of the city's water influx. (anw)