Officials in Puncak, Floods in Jakarta

On Citamiang Hill, Puncak, they build resorts as luxurious as five-star hotels. The owners include former government officials, governors, businesspeople, and—most of all—generals. A Tempo investigation discovered that these getaways were constructed by breaking the rules. They ignored the fact that this area plays a special role in preventing floods in Jakarta.

If this situation is allowed to continue, the damage to Citamiang will result in increasingly severe flooding in the Indonesian capital. This matter has become very important in the run-up to the Jakarta gubernatorial election, which will take place in August. On their shoulders is the burden to reduce the factors which contribute to flooding in Jakarta. The following is a report of Tempo’s investigation on this hilly area called Puncak, where illegal bungalows spring up like wildflowers.