Floods Submerging 10 RW in Ciracas Caused by Runoff Water from Depok

Flooding that submerged ten Rukun Warga (RW) in Ciracas Subdistrict, East Jakarta, was triggered by runoff water from upstream areas, particularly Cimanggis, Depok. “Rain here started on Saturday (21/3) around 4:30 PM WIB until just before night. But the water began to rise around 7:00 PM, when the rain had already stopped. This indicates a very large inflow from upstream,” said Ciracas Subdistrict Head Panangaran Ritonga when contacted in Jakarta on Sunday. According to him, the flooding was not solely caused by local rain. The increase in water discharge in his area occurred precisely when the rain in Ciracas began to subside. High rainfall in the Cimanggis area, Panangaran said, caused an increase in water volume in several river flows that empty into Ciracas, particularly the Kali Baru along Jalan Raya Bogor and Kali Cipinang. As a result, the water overflowed and submerged at least ten RW in the area. Water levels in residential areas reached 50 centimetres (cm) to one metre at the peak of the flooding, which occurred on Sunday early morning around 1:00 AM WIB. Although there was information that a retaining wall in the Cibubur area had collapsed, this condition was not the main factor causing the flood. In addition, this runoff flood phenomenon poses a particular challenge in handling floods in downstream areas like Ciracas, as it is highly dependent on weather conditions in upstream regions. Entering this morning, the flood conditions began to recede gradually. At 6:00 AM WIB, water levels at several points remained around 15 to 20 cm. The subdistrict apparatus is currently coordinating with the Social Services for handling affected residents. Several residents evacuated to safe locations, including the ward office, while others chose to stay at relatives’ homes. He urged the public to increase vigilance, especially during heavy rain in upstream areas, as it has the potential to trigger rapid runoff flooding. “If there’s heavy rain upstream, the impact will definitely reach here. So residents need to be alert even if the rain here has subsided,” he said. Due to the flood, East Jakarta Fire and Rescue Sub-Department (Gulkarmat) personnel evacuated vulnerable residents, from infants to pregnant women. “Our main focus is to save the most at-risk residents, such as infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and sick residents,” said Head of East Jakarta Gulkarmat Sub-Department Muchtar Zakaria when contacted in Jakarta on Sunday. The flood height that occurred on Jalan H. Mardah RT 06/RW 03, Cibubur Ward, reached about 1.7 metres, endangering residents’ safety, especially vulnerable groups. A total of 47 people were successfully evacuated in the operation. Among them were six infants, six elderly, one pregnant woman, and two sick residents who were prioritised for immediate transfer to safe locations. In addition, East Jakarta Gulkarmat also evacuated six flood-affected residents with water levels over one metre on Jalan H. Syarif RT 08 RW 10, Cibubur Ward, Ciracas Subdistrict, East Jakarta.