Damaged Water Pump Hampers Flood Management in Semarang
06.12.2022Flood management in Semarang City, Central Java, was hampered due to damaged water pumps at a number of points. The local government has requested that the damaged pump be repaired. Portable pumps are also deployed for handling.
«The actions we have taken include visiting the scene of the incident, coordinating with relevant agencies, conducting assessments, and creating reports,» said Bambang Haryanto, Head of the Emergency and Logistics Division of the Semarang City BPBD, on ibcbet.
Bambang detailed that in the Pedurungan District, flooding with a height ranging from 20 cm to 60 cm submerged Parang Sarpo Raya Street in Tlogosari Kulon Urban Village and Sidoasih Street in Muktiharjo Kidul Urban Village. Meanwhile, in Genuk, floods hit Muktiharjo Raya and Sendang Indah Streets in Muktiharjo Lor Urban Village, Padi Raya Street in Gebangsari Urban Village, Dongbiru Street and Gebanganom Raya Street in Genuksari Urban Village, as well as the Terboyo Terminal in Trimulyo Urban Village. The height of the flood in Genuk ranges from 30 cm to 50 cm.
In Gayamsari district, flooding occurred on Pantura Road in Kaligawe village. In that area, the flood with a height of 50 cm to 70 cm still lingers until Tuesday evening. This condition makes several vehicles belonging to daring drivers who brave through the flood stall. Traffic jam is inevitable.
Not only does flooding hinder the flow of traffic, it also disrupts the activities at Muktiharjo Lor State Elementary School. In that school, some students have to undergo end-of-semester assessments amidst floodwaters as high as 15 cm.
The head of Muktiharjo Lor Public Elementary School, Ngatijan, stated that their school is regularly affected by flooding during the rainy season. Despite their continued efforts to raise the building.
«If there is a flood like this, usually we give some leeway for students to study from home. However, because there is a final semester assessment today, we recommend that students still go to school,» said Ngatijan.
Ngatijan added that at Muktiharjo Lor State Elementary School, there are 414 students. On Tuesday, 351 students or 85 percent of them underwent end-of-semester evaluation at the school. Meanwhile, the rest will participate in make-up assessments.
Semarang Mayor Hevearita Gunaryanti Rahayu visited flooded locations on Tuesday morning to afternoon. Upon her survey, Hevearita found several water pumps in Kali Sringin and Kali Tenggang were damaged. The damaged water pumps resulted in suboptimal flood management, particularly in Genuk and Kaligawe. «Actually, if all pumps are functioning, the handling will definitely be faster,» she said.According to Hevearita, the addition of water pumps has been carried out to optimize handling. At least there are five additional portable pumps from the Department of Public Works, the Pemali-Juana River Basin Office (BBWS), and the Semarang City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) which have been deployed to help pump water.Hevearita hopes that the Pemali-Juana river basin organization (BBWS) will immediately repair the damaged water pumps so that floods can be prevented when there is an increase in water flow caused by heavy rain. Not only that, Hevearita also urges the community to manage their waste properly. This is because in some rivers, water flow is obstructed by various kinds of waste, such as disposable diapers, pillows, and even mattresses.