Idul Fitri floods in Tangerang

Idul Fitri floods in Tangerang

TANGERANG (JP): Heavy rain in Jakarta's outskirts flooded roads, farms and residential areas in Tangerang on the first day of the Idul Fitri holidays, local inhabitants said.

Several main roads and farms remained submerged, and the Cisadane river level remained at its highest point yesterday. There were no fatalities reported.

Residents complained about the lack of warning from the local authorities, and wondered about the main cause of the floods as the amount of rain on Tuesday was not abnormal.

It took only a few hours for several roads, most which were already in poor condition, to be flooded.

"We're afraid that floods like those that recently swept Jakarta will damage our homes in the next few days," Dina, who lives on Jl. Serpong Raya, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

The flooded areas are located 30 kilometers west of the capital.

Water levels reaching one meter disrupted traffic, damaged vehicles and roads, destroyed paddy fields and vegetable farms, and inundated many houses. Most of the houses were empty because the owners had gone to their hometowns for Idul Fitri.

One main road leading to Jakarta, Jl. Karawaci Raya, was covered with 40 centimeters of water. A number of cars fell into massive potholes in the road. The artery road has been in poor condition for years.

Neither the developer nor local authority have paid attention to the section of the road in front of the Palem Semi housing complex.

Residents have frequently complained about the authorities being reluctant to repair the road, which turns to mud during the rainy season. The residents have also asked that developers in the area, like the Lippo Group, be forced to build a better drainage system.

They also said that the Tangerang authorities never prohibit heavy trucks from using the damaged roads. Instead, the authorities collect tolls from the drivers.

"The authorities collect our taxes and impose other levies," said Parmo, 38, a teacher who has lived in Tangerang for years.

Meanwhile, dozens of residents took advantage of the flooding to fish in the drowned paddy fields along the Merak to Jakarta highway near the Karawaci toll road.

Some others even tried their luck at the football field behind the Qadr Islamic hospital near the Karawaci tollgate.

"We hope that the water won't rise, so we won't need a boat to fish," said one angler. (bsr)