City still not ready for rainy season

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bogor

The city's flood and natural disaster crisis center was quiet on Tuesday despite warnings of possible flooding in the coming weeks as the rainy season picks us.

Hidden on the second floor of Blok D in City Hall on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in Central Jakarta, the glass doors of the crisis center were locked and no office equipment was seen inside.

"Of course the room is still empty. We have yet to start working. The crisis center will be in full operation if we considered the situation to be an emergency," the head of the City Crisis Prevention Agency, Z.A.T. Siregar, told The Jakarta Post.

He said all those officials involved in flood prevention projects, including himself, had printed a book containing information on the crisis center. The book will be distributed to administration officials by Oct. 23.

"The book contains details about the project, including a list of flood-prone areas, where we will build help centers and other things," he said, adding that the officials will hold a meeting later this week.

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) warned last week of possible flooding in mid-October, when heavy rain is expected in areas south of Jakarta, namely Puncak, Bogor and Depok.

BMG's deputy for observation affairs, Hery Harjanto, said that although the rainy season was likely to begin in earnest in mid- November, the floods would come earlier.

However, Manurung said rainfall had not yet reached alarming levels "and rain just started a couple of days ago .... Everything is normal as far as I know".

In Bogor, staff at the Ciliwung-Katulampa dam said the rate of flow of the Ciliwung River remained normal.

The Ciliwung River is the largest and the longest of 11 rivers flowing through the capital, and a modest increase in its flow can cause flooding.

Syafei, who works at the dam, told the Post he feared an increase in the river's flow rate due to heavy rain in Bogor and around the Telaga Warna Lake in Puncak.

Another dam employee, Andi Sudriman, said that on its way to Jakarta, the river picked up additional discharge from 10 rivers: Cimandala, Cimega Mendung, Citangiang, Cisampay, Cisarua, Cibogo, Cisuka Birus, Cijulang, Cibongas and Ciesek.