Jakarta Deputy Governor Rano Karno said that alleviating flooding caused by extreme weather with high rainfall requires a long-term solution.

"This must be run over a long period of time, it cannot be done in five years ," he said, Friday (1/23).

As the example, Rano added, Efforts to address flooding in the Taman Kota housing complex in the Kedaung Kali Angke subdistrict, Cengkareng, West Jakarta, was run by activating all stationary pumps in two nearby pump houses. However, due to the high water level in the Mokevart River, the flooding was difficult to drain.

"Even mobile pumps will not have much effect on efforts to reduce flooding," he added.

Similar conditions also occurred in several residential areas and flooded roads. The floodwaters were difficult to drain because the water flow in the macro channels serving as their outlets was full.

Rano explained that one solution to address flooding is to normalize rivers that have narrowed due to occupation. For example, the Krukut River, which was once around 20 meters wide, has now narrowed to around three meters.

"The biggest challenge to be able to carry out normalization is to socialize it to the people who live on the riverbanks," he explained.

As a solution for those affected, Rano revealed that the Jakarta Provincial Government will relocate them to low-cost apartments. However, he admitted that not everyone is willing to move from the riverbanks to the low-cost apartments that have been prepared.

"That's why we're here. As we discussed earlier, there are needs that must be addressed, so we'll evaluate it," he stated.