THE structure should have remained intact for another 25 years. The stack of stones, stuck together with lime and red cement which formed the spillway, would have reached the age of 100 years in 2033. This was the expected lifespan of the dam built by the Dutch.

However, on Friday morning two weeks ago, 2 million cubic meters of water from Telaga Gintung broke through the spillway. This was the worst natural disaster in Jakarta’s history, cau