We have prepared everything. In the long term, we will construct a dam there. Pondok Labu will definitely no longer suffer flooding when the dam is completed.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo has said the capital city will build another dam to overcome a chronic flood problem in the Pondok Labu area and its surroundings.
"We have prepared everything. In the long term, we will construct a dam there. Pondok Labu will definitely no longer suffer flooding when the dam is completed," Fauzi Bowo said at Halim Perdana Kusuma Air Force base here on Monday where he was among a number of government officials seeing off President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his entourage on their departure to France.
The process to acquire land for the planned dam would begin next year, according to the governor.
Before flying to France, President Yudhoyono asked Vice President Boediono and Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo to address the flood problem in the capital city and to prevent the floods from spreading to wider areas like what were happening in Thailand and Myanmar.
On Sunday evening (Oct 31), Pondok Labu in south Jakarta was flooded up to a height of two meters, forcing residents to flee to higher ground.
The Indonesian Red Cross helped the local residents in the evacuation process and set up emergency tents to accommodate the flood victims consisting of at least 239 families.
Most parts of Indonesia are currently entering the rainy season.
(F001)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
