Governor warns of flooding

Governor of Jakarta Surjadi Soedirdja wants Jakartans to prepare themselves for the floods sure to come in the current rainy season.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, the governor told people to start cleaning the garbage out of the gutters in their neighborhoods so that the drains will function properly.

The governor also warned the public not to worsen the problem by throwing trash into rivers and canals.

He cautioned that even though the rainy season this year might be shorter than usual because the dry season was so long, there is a strong possibility that the volume of rain will be higher.

"Since this year's dry season was longer than expected, logically the rainy season will last for a shorter period," he said. "But we have to prepare for floods because the high level of rain water is feared to inundate several parts of the capital, that have frequently faced flooding in the past."

He said the city administration has deployed a number of officers to remain on stand-by at the river floodgates 24 hours a day. (23)