Flood-hit city prays for respite<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Floods that inundated Jakarta over the weekend
\nand reportedly killed four people began to subside in some areas
\nyesterday, but continued rising and posing threats in other parts
\nof the city.<\/p>\n
As of yesterday afternoon, in places such as Cipulir and Tanah
\nKusir in South Jakarta, water levels rose to about half-a-meter.
\nResidents waded in stomach-deep water, while carts became the
\nmain means of transportation.<\/p>\n
The rise was thought to be caused by the opening of a dam in
\nCigudeg, Bogor, which was left ajar twice at 1:00 a.m. and 3:00
\na.m. after reaching full capacity from the incessant rains.<\/p>\n
\"We should be getting a (Moslem holiday) Lebaran parcel from
\nBogor, but instead they are sending us a catastrophe,\" remarked a
\nsecurity guard working in Cipulir.<\/p>\n
The Antara news agency reported that four people from three
\nsubdistricts in West Jakarta died in the floods which began with
\nthe rains on early Friday morning.<\/p>\n
The agency named three of the victims as Kisno and Komaruddin
\nof the Tambora subdistrict, and Zulkarnaen of the Kapuk
\nsubdistrict. The other victim has yet to be identified, but his
\nbody was found in the Jembatan Lima subdistrict.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Islamic Hospital in Cempaka Putih had to cancel 24
\nscheduled operations because water inundated some wards,
\nincluding the operating room. By 3 p.m. yesterday, however, most
\nrooms had been cleaned and dried.<\/p>\n
Residential areas and roads in Kampung Buaran and Cikokol,
\nTangerang, were still submerged, while seven neighborhoods in
\nPetamburan, West Java, were under 1.5 meters of water.<\/p>\n
Residents in Bukitduri area, located in South Jakarta along
\nthe Ciliwung River, reported half-a-meter high water levels. No
\nstrangers to floods, the worst of which occurred last month and
\nkilled ten people, the residents said they would remain on alert
\neven if the water subsided in other parts of the city.<\/p>\n
Another area still badly hit was the Cawang district, East
\nJakarta. A mosque in the Cawang III subdistrict was overflowing
\non Saturday night with people scrambling to move as many of their
\nbelongings as possible.<\/p>\n
\"During the flood last month, I spent 18 days here,\" said
\nZaenab, whose house was covered with water up to the roof
\nyesterday. \"We went home for a few days and here we are again.\"<\/p>\n
Further up the road from her house along the river, walls
\nstill carried Saturday's water marks of almost two meters high.<\/p>\n
Wiwien, another resident, said she had to break her fast when
\nshe knew her home was flooded again. \"I felt so weak,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Zaenab said that, given the current conditions, it would be
\ngood enough if everybody remained healthy for the Moslem Idul
\nFitri, or Lebaran, festival next week.<\/p>\n
Like the residents in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, residents
\nin Cawang said there was no warning before the floods.<\/p>\n
One of Jakarta's main thoroughfares, Jl. Thamrin, was still
\ninundated as of Sunday, though not as badly as on Saturday. The
\nJl. Suprapto-Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan intersection in Central
\nJakarta was relatively dry, while the traffic, in a state of
\nchaos on Saturday, began returning to normal yesterday.<\/p>\n
Dozens of people still in drenched clothing sat huddled
\nunderneath East Jakarta's Cempaka Putih flyover, waiting for the
\nwater to go down enough for them to return home.<\/p>\n
Some women in the group were seen spreading clothes to dry out
\non whatever space was available as soon as the heavy rains began
\nto let up yesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Around them, however, dozens of cars continued to break down
\nin the waters, through which many had to be pushed after their
\ncars stalled out.<\/p>\n
Around 100,000 telephone lines in Jakarta were still inactive
\nafter the main power supplies were inundated. Police had their
\nhands full yesterday as communication with city police
\nheadquarters was disrupted.<\/p>\n
Director of the state-owned telephone company PT Telkom
\nSetyanto P. Santosa told the press in Bandung that the automatic
\ntelephone exchange stations in Semanggi and Gatot Subroto areas
\nwere the worst affected.<\/p>\n
Police have also had to work extra hard, assigning more
\nofficers to help sort out traffic congestion, setting up public
\nkitchens and helping flood victims.<\/p>\n
At Soekarno-Hatta airport, hundreds of passengers were left
\nstranded as taxi drivers refused to budge for less than
\noutrageous fares.<\/p>\n
The normal fare of Rp 25,000 climbed to Rp 60,000 at the
\nairport late Saturday evening.<\/p>\n
Traffic on the road to the airport was smoother yesterday
\nmorning, though many of the cars heading there had to be re-
\nrouted. (team)<\/p>\n
Traffic jams -- Page 3<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/flood-hit-city-prays-for-respite-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }