•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

Jakarta. Just 14 months after 101 residents died in a dam burst, the area of Situ Gintung was once again partly under water over the weekend.

The “wet” dry season caught contractors working at the site off-guard on Saturday, as their temporary dams were breached due to heavy rainfall, flooding the project site and its immediate surroundings, including a mosque.

“Although we were prepared for the possibility of flooding, we did not expect as much rain as yesterday,” Pitoyo Subandrio, head of the Public Works Ministry’s Ciliwung-Cisadane Agency told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday.

The multibillion-rupiah reconstruction of the Situ Gintung Dam in East Ciputat subdistrict, South Tangerang, is to be completed in December. The aim of the project is to reinforce the dam and its spillway after the old dam burst in March last year, leaving at least 300 people homeless.

Pitoyo explained that the contractors had built a temporary embankment dam from soil and sand bags and a temporary culvert in anticipation of any flooding.

“However, those structures were built to accommodate the supposedly occasional rainfall, as we were entering the dry season. But in fact, the combined rainfall over the weekend was even higher than during the rainy season,” Pitoyo continued.

“To prepare this structure for the rainy season would have cost more. And it would have looked suspicious during audits if we would have built something for the rainy season during the dry season,” he added. Pitoyo also said that contractors are working on a bridge at the end of the culvert. “The work there obstructed the flow of water, which also contributed to the flooding,” he said.

According to Pitoyo, all damage from Saturday’s flooding will be borne by contracting firms Bumi Karsa and Media Karya.

“Luckily it wasn’t much,” he continued, referring to the amount of damage.

On Sunday workers at the site were already continuing their work on the project.

Alif Sutrisno, a resident who was present when the water reached a mosque close to the construction site, told the Globe that for the past six months the small road in front of the mosque was frequently flooded during heavy rainfall.

“I don't think [the contractors] were well-prepared. We already talked to them a couple of times,” Alif said.

Alif was preparing himself for the afternoon prayer when he suddenly realized that the water was rising fast.

“The first things we saved were our copies of the Koran, and then the mosque’s carpet and electronics. We put these on the second floor.”

“However, we forgot about the office. Water got in quickly, and then the mosque’s caretaker realized that he left some electronic equipment on the floor,” Alif said, adding that the knee-deep water only receded two hours later.

“The contractor came to apologize. Now we are waiting for the electronics to dry before checking if they still work,” Alif said.