Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — The Jakarta Provincial Government is preparing to reintroduce a work-from-home (WFH) policy for workers in response to unpredicted situation such as severe floods. The regulations would allow workers to apply for WFH if there is a flood during working days.
According to CNBC Indonesia, the plan was announced by the Head of Jakarta’s Manpower, Transmigration, and Energy office, Hari Nugroho on Wednesday, December 11.
“If major flooding occurs, we will issue a circular, like we did during the pandemic. This will provide clarity for both employers and workers,” Hari said.
The COVID-19 pandemic set a precedent for remote work policies, allowing workers to operate from home to limit the spread of the virus. With current heavy rainfall and floods risks looming in Jakarta, officials are considering a similar approach to ensure public safety and business continuity.
This policy was taken into consideration after seeing an unusual weather condition leading to potential hydrometeorological disasters. Heavy rainfall could easily trigger flooding in several areas in Jakarta which could have a huge impact on community activities.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned of persistent heavy rainfall in Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) through December 15.
In response, Jakarta authorities will conduct a weather modification operation from December 12 to 14 to reduce rainfall intensity and mitigate potential flooding in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi.
Weather Modification
Earlier, BMKG conducted weather modification on December 7-8, claimed to be a significant success. The operation was successfully reducing the intensity of rain by up to 67% in several areas. The result, according to BMKG, can reduce the risk of flooding in Jakarta.
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“We carried out cloud seeding for two consecutive days using a total of five sorties and four tons of seeding materials to control rain distribution in Jakarta,” said BMKG Chief Dwikorita Karnawati in a statement on Monday, December 9.
“This operation successfully reduced rainfall intensity in several areas by 13% to 67%, as measured by the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) data,” she added.
The Jakarta government’s proactive approach reflects ongoing efforts to manage hydrometeorological disasters particularly severe floods, which frequently disrupt the city and community activities during periods of extreme rainfall.
(Raidi/Agung)
