Floods wreak havoc among Jakartans
Floods wreak havoc among Jakartans
JAKARTA (JP): A senior scholar lost his collection of books, a woman almost delivered her baby on a rooftop and a family canceled their plan to return to their home village for the coming holiday.
Yet, the flood that struck Jakarta yesterday had positive moments in the solidarity shown among its victims and in the opportunity some young boys found to earn money by helping push cars which broke down in the water.
Mochtar Buchori, a retired researcher of the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), said he managed to save his computer and television, but he may have lost his collection of books.
"This has never happened to us before. And the location of our house is pretty high," said Mochtar, who lives in the LIPI housing complex just off Jl. Gatot Subroto.
"The water reached to my knees. I just had to move my things because it kept rising. I don't know what happened to my books."
He said his son-in-law had just bought a car and put it in his garage. "We had to push it out through the water."
With flooding sweeping across the city, official assistance was hard and slow to come by.
In Pondok Karya in South Jakarta, Mrs. Syamsul who was due to deliver her child and an aging and ailing Marsidi had to wait for long hours on their rooftops before a dinghy came to pick them up. The water reached three meters high in that area.
Surono, 40, and his wife and three children, had intended to take the train to their home village in Central Java from Kota station. They could not even get to the station.
"We're just heading back home. Although we've already paid for the ticket," he said.
Fatimah, a resident of Jl. Kebalen in South Jakarta, hugged other women the moment she stepped off the dinghy and cried out loud, saying she had to endure long hours waiting for help all alone because her husband was out of town.
"Cry. We all cried," said another woman. "My home was once used to accommodate flood victims. Now I'm the one who is seeking a shelter," she said in disbelief. "Maybe I'll settle for the mosque."
The gotong royong (mutual help) spirit was most apparent in this area as some creative residents used banana trunks as floats to carry women and old people out of harm's reach. They were also collecting what dry clothes they could salvage from some of the homes.
With the aid of the banana trunks, some of the people also picked ripening rambutan fruit which was easily reached because they were floating three meters high under the trees.
"Not bad for the breaking of the fast," commented a woman.
Residents in the Kampung Melayu area had barely forgotten the trauma of last month's flood when the Ciliwung river overflowed once again.
This time they were better prepared. Most had already evacuated to safe ground, although many only sent their children.
"The last time, we all had to go to the rooftop. We even slept there," said Marsiah, a resident of Kebon Baru subdistrict.
Yesterday, the water reached knee level.
Small traders who live on makeshift huts along the embankment simply watched the water rising.
"I'm too lazy to work today. My cart and its contents are already inundated. Besides, I don't think anyone is going to come to the market today," said one trader. (team)