Floods force 13,000 to flee
Floods force 13,000 to flee
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Tangerang/Bekasi
Nearly 13,000 Greater Jakartans were forced to flee their homes
on Thursday as floods from heavy downpours overnight submerged
many areas.
The Jakarta Operation Coordinating Board (Satkorlak) for
Disaster Mitigation reported that floods had greatly affected
four of five municipalities in the capital, the lone exception
being Central Jakarta. Some areas of Tangerang and Bekasi were
also inundated.
They also reported that water levels at five of eight main
sluice-gates were at dangerous levels -- the Pesanggrahan sluice-
gate, West Jakarta; the Karet sluice-gate, Central Jakarta; the
Pulogadung sluice-gate, East Jakarta; the Manggarai sluice-gate,
South Jakarta; and the Depok sluice-gate -- had surpassed their
maximum safe levels and on alert status 3. Level 1 is the most
dangerous.
The City Secretary Ritola Tasmaya and the board secretary
Soebagio recommended Governor Sutiyoso increase the alert status
from level 3 to Level 2. Sutiyoso said he would likely approve
it.
Around 2,500 residents of Kebon Jeruk subdistrict in West
Jakarta had to seek refuge on railroad tracks as water levels
were over a meter high in several spots. In Semanan subdistrict,
also in West Jakarta, 670 people fled to temporary shelters at a
nearby mosque, the subdistrict office and the community health
center as water reached 180 centimeters.
"The municipality administration has provided rice and instant
noodles for them," West Jakarta Mayor Sarimun Hadisaputra said
while visiting them.
He admitted that water overflowing the banks of the Mookervart
canal could not be pumped out of the area unless the government
build a flood reservoir nearby.
Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo, who also visited the victims,
promised to issue circulars among hospitals to prioritize flood
victims and dengue fever patients.
Nearly 400 people in that area, half of them children,
reported skin irritation as well as upper respiratory system
infections. Dr. Dalmira from the Kalideres health clinic said she
had treated many of them.
In East Jakarta, the floods varied from 30 cm to 150 cm and
submerged Cawang, Cakung and Pondok Bambu subdistricts. The
inundation caused severe traffic jams and school closures.
Flood-prone areas like Bukit Duri and Cipulir subdistricts in
South Jakarta and the Podomoro and Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta
were already submerged.
In Tangerang regency and municipality, water hit thousands of
homes and hectares of paddy fields. However, residents in five
villages in Pakuhaji district in the regency were reluctant to
leave their homes although water was up to one meter in many
neighborhoods.
Wawang Sofyan, an official of the local social agency, said a
total of 1,040 homes were confirmed to be affected, but many
village heads had failed to send in their reports.
However Muhamad Rais, the secretary of Kohod village, claimed
they had submitted reports of floods since December but never had
a response.
The head of the Tangerang Flood Crisis Center Heriyanto said
some 3,571 houses had up to 120 cm-deep water in several
districts in the municipality.
Floods in Bekasi regency have also been worsened, with 10
districts adversely affected.
I-box
Flooded areas and number of refugees
.TB3.70"
Subdistrict Number of refugees
1. Duri Kosambi, W. Jakarta 150 people
2. Semanan, W. Jakarta 670 people
3. Kebon Jeruk, W. Jakarta 2,500 people
4. Rawa Buaya, W. Jakarta 200 people
5. Pondok Bambu, E. Jakarta 670 people
6. Cipinang Muara, E. Jakarta 1,484 people
7. Cipinang Melayu, E. Jakarta 6,660 people
8. Cakung Timur, E. Jakarta 220 families
9. Cakung Barat, E. Jakarta 729 families
10. Jatipadang, S. Jakarta 120 people
11. Cipulir, S. Jakarta 120 people
12. Semper Barat, N. Jakarta 20 families
13. Tugu Selatan, N. Jakarta 32 families
TOTAL 12,574 people and 1,001
families
Source: The Jakarta Social Welfare Agency