Repair on the Citarum Embankment to be Completed in Two Days

BPMI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

President Joko Widodo spoke to the press after inspecting the location of the Citarum embankment that was broken in Bekasi Regency, West Java, on Wednesday (24/2/2021).

Repair works on the damaged embankment of the Citarum River should be completed as soon as possible so flooding in Bekasi regency can be effectively controlled. Floods and landslides have the potential to occur in a number of areas.

BEKASI, KOMPAS— President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has instructed the relevant government agencies to complete the repair works on the embankment of the Citarum River in Bekasi regency, West Java, which was destroyed by recent flooding, in two days. The government will also repair houses damaged by the floods.

"I give a maximum of two more days to repair the river embankment so that everything can function normally," said the President while inspecting the Citarum River embankment in Pebayuran district, Bekasi regency on Wednesday (24/2/2021).

Also read: Flood Points Increases

The river embankment at three locations was damaged on Saturday night (20/2) . As a result, 6,500 families in Bekasi regency were affected by flooding and 280 hectares of rice fields were inundated.

The President asked that repairs be completed as soon as possible.

Repair works on the damaged river embankment have been carried out for two days. The President asked that repairs be completed as soon as possible.

During the inspection, the President was accompanied by Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini, the head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Doni Monardo, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil and Bekasi regent Eka Supria Atmaja.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

A container truck is pushing through floodwater on Jl. Cakung-Cilincing in the Sukapura area of Cilincing, North Jakarta, on Tuesday (25/2/2020). Heavy rain caused severe flooding in numerous areas of Jakarta and Bekasi.

Floods also occurred in five subdistricts in Karawang, West Java, including Rengasdengklok, West Telukjambe, West Karawang, East Telukjambe, and Pakisjaya. A total of 1,521 houses inhabited by 1,826 families were also affected. A number of areas in Pekalongan city and Pekalongan regency, Central Java, saw up to 70 centimeters in inundation over the last three weeks. A total of 2,351 people were evacuated to number of locations.

Also read: Elegy for early 2021: Upstream Landslides, Downstream Flooding

To ease the burden on flood victims, the Kompas Humanitarian Fund Foundation distributed assistance from Kompas daily readers in the form of clothes and foods to four evacuation locations.

The city administration used water pumps to reduce puddles.

In a number of locations in the city of Semarang, Central Java, until Wednesday, the floods had yet to subside. At several locations on Jalan Kaligawe, the Kota Lama area of Semarang, as well as at Semarang Tawang Station, the water level reached 50 centimeters. The city administration used water pumps to reduce puddles.

Five people killed

Meanwhile, in East Java, seven female students at an Islamic boarding school were buried by landslides in Bindang village, Pasean district, Pamekasan regency, Wednesday (24/2). Five of the students died, one was seriously injured and another sustained minor injuries.

Also read: The Face of Solidarity in Banjarmasin Floods

All of the victims were students of the Annindhoniyah Islamic Boarding School. The other students were evacuated to a safe location. (INA/VAN/MEL/XTI/DIT/NIK)

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).