709 generators shutdown due to floods

JAKARTA: Flooding in many areas in Jakarta and Tangerang over the last four days has prompted officials of the state-owned electricity company PT PLN to shut down 709 power generators.

"We shut down 709 generators up until ... Thursday," said a spokesman for the company Business Distribution Unit overseeing Jakarta and Tangerang, Riyo Supriyanto, on Friday.

The number is only six percent of the total of 10,821 power operational generators throughout Jakarta and Tangerang.

As a whole, the generators provide monthly revenues of Rp 700 billion (US$67.3 million), Antara reported.

There are 380 power generators altogether in Gambir, which supply the area from Kota to Tanjung Priok; all had to be shut down as a result of the floods.

That figure was 30 higher than a day earlier.

Other areas where the generators were shut down included East Jakarta overseeing Kramat Jati, Kampung Melayu, and Jatinegara.

The number increased from 111 to 164.

In Kebayoran, the number of inoperative generators dropped from 58 to only 34 also in Tangerang, where the number also fell from 38 to 31.

The main reason for the shutdowns was to ensure that no one was electrocuted.

Riyo said that the shutdowns began on Jan. 30, but added that PLN officials were unable to predict when the power would be fully restored.

"It depends on the weather -- if the rain stops, perhaps within three days we can re-distribute power supply," he said. -- JP