REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Ministry of Public Works blames garbage as the main cause of floods in Jakarta since the garbage blocks water flow in sewage system and causes the water to overflow. 

"Then main cause is not the sewage system," Minister of Public Works, Djoko Kirmanto, said on Thursday. 

According to Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), about 2,425 houses in Jakarta were hit by floods until Monday (24/12). The floods even paralyzed several main streets in Jakarta.

Kirmanto said that people must change their behavior and stop throwing garbage to rivers. He believes that flood can be prevented if people work together.

The ministry also has some programs to prevent flood, and among others are increasing the capacity of West and East Flood Canal, normalization of several rivers, building Check-Dam and infiltration well and also revitalization of 182 lakes. The programs are expected to eliminate 67 points from flood map in Jakarta by 2017.

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