Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung apologized to residents affected by floods over the weekend, acknowledging shortcomings in the city's response while insisting the provincial government had made maximum efforts to manage the disaster.
"For the people of Cawang (East Jakarta), I have read your messages on my Instagram. We apologize for not being able to please everyone," Pramono said while inspecting river dredging in East Jakarta on Monday.
The floods, the first under Pramono's leadership since taking office in February, were caused by a combination of factors: heavy local rainfall, upstream runoff, and tidal flooding.
"This combination made the flooding quite severe," he said, adding that while Jakarta's response could not please all, it had been "relatively good" compared to other regions facing similar challenges.
The city deployed 605 water pumps to reduce flooding, but the heavy volume of water caused damage to some equipment, with ten pumps burning out under high workload conditions, Pramono said. Water levels at the Manggarai sluice gate in Central Jakarta, which had reached the second-highest alert level with a peak of 860 centimeters, had receded to 670 centimeters by midday Monday, officials said.
However, piles of debris remained along the Ciliwung River, blocking water flow. Heavy equipment was deployed to clear the debris to prevent further flooding.
Jakarta's disaster agency (BPBD) reported that by Monday afternoon, flooding had receded in most areas, leaving only two neighborhoods inundated: one in Kembangan Utara, West Jakarta, with 30 centimeters of water, and another in Jati Padang, South Jakarta, with 50 centimeters.
At the peak, floods affected 141 neighborhood units across West, East, Central, and South Jakarta, with water levels reaching up to three meters in some areas. Residents have begun returning home to clean debris left by the floods, with 75 people remaining in shelters as of Monday.
The Social Affairs Ministry dispatched relief supplies, including ready-to-eat meals, children's food, mattresses, blankets, and family kits, to affected areas in East Jakarta, including Cililitan and Kampung Melayu. Minister Saifullah Yusuf said teams from the ministry and the Disaster Alert Village (KSB) remained on-site to monitor and coordinate with local authorities.
Meanwhile, search and rescue teams recovered the body of a young boy, Alif, from the Sodong River in East Jakarta after he slipped and fell into the river while playing during the heavy rain on Sunday. Alif, who was unable to swim, was swept away by strong currents, while another child with him, Baim, was rescued by residents.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/jakarta-governor-apologizes-as-floods-hit-vows-better-respons