Floods Caused by River Overflow, Tangerang–Merak Toll Road Jammed for Hours

Heavy rains that battered the Tangerang region since Saturday night caused the Kali Sabi to overflow, flooding the Tangerang–Merak Toll Road section at KM 23-800 on Sunday (8/3). The floodwater height is estimated to reach 50 centimetres, resulting in traffic from Jakarta towards Merak lingering in a long congestion of more than five kilometres.

In addition to flooding the toll, the overflow of Kali Sabi also inundated Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang, disrupting local residents’ activities as access roads in the residential area were cut off.

Fajrul, one resident, said the floods occurred since 02.00 WIB due to heavy rain that had fallen the night before. “Residents hope the government will promptly normalise Kali Sabi so floods do not occur frequently,” he said.

Several other roads in Tangerang were also flooded due to overnight rain, including Jalan Raya Merdeka, Kecamatan Karawaci, on Sunday (8/3), disrupting traffic. CNNIndonesia.com’s monitoring showed water levels reaching around 30 to 50 centimetres, causing congestion on Jalan Raya Merdeka.

In addition to Jalan Raya Merdeka, the nearly all-night rainfall caused waterlogging on several other roads in Tangerang, including Jalan Ciledug Raya, Jalan Raya Husein Sastranegara in Benda, Jalan Raya Gempol in Pinang, and the Batu Sari area in Batuceper.

The high water levels are thought to be triggered by heavy rainfall since Saturday night (7/3). Additionally, the drainage system condition, which is not optimal, allowed water to overflow and flood road shoulders.

Residents voiced complaints as floods are said to frequently occur in the area and disrupt community activities. A resident, Heri Gunawan, said floods on Jalan Raya Merdeka almost always happen each time heavy rain falls for an extended period. He hopes the city and provincial governments will promptly undertake repairs so that similar incidents do not recur.

[Gambas:Video CNN]