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)