Floods cause traffic jams after heavy downpour

Floods cause traffic jams after heavy downpour

JAKARTA (JP): Several streets in the city were flooded
yesterday after a two-hour torrential downpour, the first such
spate since February.

Slow lanes on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Jl. MH. Thamrin, and along
to the Tanah Abang crossroad in Central Jakarta, were soon up to
25 cms under water.

Streets also flooded in Slipi and Grogol, West Jakarta, as did
the Cawang crossroad in East Jakarta. The rain started at 1 p.m.

The flooding caused traffic jams for almost four hours. Some
cars broke down on Jl. Jend. Sudirman and on the intersection of
Jl. K.H. Mas Mansyur and the Karet cemetery.

Water up to 50 centimeters deep inundated the Dukuh Atas
underpass beneath Jl. Jend. Sudirman, causing heavy congestion in
nearby streets.

In February the underpass leading to Jl. Inspeksi, on which
the Hotel Shangri-La stands, was flooded almost up to its traffic
lights.

Some cars also broke down in the underpass and drivers feared
the water would rise even higher.

Streets around the National Monument (Monas) park were also
congested when water rose.

Two bajaj (three-wheeled motorized taxis) stalled on Jl.
Sultan Agung, South Jakarta, causing a long traffic jam on the
streets leading to Jl. Jend. Sudirman.

During the February floods at least 20 people died. Some said
that the flood was the worst in decades.

The city administration is undertaking several programs to
avoid a repetition of the February floods. These include dredging
rivers and adding more water pumps. (jun)