Puncak which had many trees in the past changed into a place with wallsJakarta (ANTARA) - Chief of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VIII Yandri Susanto has urged the government to revert the Puncak resort area in Bogor District, West Java, to its original function as a water catchment area.
Puncak had changed its function from a water catchment area to a residential area, he said while chairing a working meeting between the House Commission VIII and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and the Social Affairs Ministry at the parliament building here on Tuesday. "Puncak which had many trees in the past changed into a place with walls," he said.
Puncak has changed into a villa complex and some of the villas belong to rich people in Jakarta, he said.
The government must rearrange the Puncak resort area and revert it to its function as a water catchment area to curb the risks of flooding in and around Jakarta.
"Of course, this is not the task of the social affairs minister and the BNPB chief. But I ask the government to pay attention to this," he said.
The flood that engulfed Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) claimed the lives of 16 people and forced 26,463 others to take refuge, Social Affairs Minister Juliari Peter Batubara said during the working meeting.
Natural disasters in Indonesia are something permanent that needs a permanent solution too, BNPB Chief Doni Monardo said.
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Translator: Dewanto Samodro/Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
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