It is a national disaster
Never before in Jakarta's 475-year history has there been such a devastating flood as this current one. The floodwater, some of it from days of continuous, heavy downpours, and some from the highlands around Bogor has caused unprecedented damage here. The flood, mostly affecting those who live near swollen rivers, killed 10 people over the weekend alone and at least 29 people -- including an infant, who was swept away by the water -- since last Tuesday. About 300,000 people have reportedly become temporarily homeless, and nobody can say exactly when the disaster will end.
It is now common to see victims sitting on the rooftops of the their shanty huts trying to stay out of harm's way until the rescue teams arrive by boat. Several families have even taken refuge in public cemeteries. Many have taken refuge in temporary shelters without adequate facilities and have been unable to bathe for nearly a week. Food depends on handouts from neighbors in most cases. In some areas city officials have distributed food and dispatched medical teams to open temporary clinics to help the victims. After seven days of disaster, skin diseases and diarrhea are common because the water has become increasingly polluted with all manner of chemical and organic waste.
The silver lining in this disastrous tragedy is that our people have never ceased to smile -- at least when the TV cameras are turned on -- or happily wave at President Megawati Soekarnoputri and her entourage as they cruised the affected areas by boat on Sunday.
For decades, suffering has been a way of life for many low- income citizens here, but this time the suffering has hit not only the slums but also affluent areas, many of which have seen houses inundated and cars nearly submerged by water. The affluent folk even had to be carried by truck to nearby hotels for shelter. And those who were stuck in traffic when the flooding hit had to abandon their cars unguarded on the streets. The police said they sent all available officers to deal with the traffic congestion, but in many areas there was no police presence and the traffic was "handled" by gangs of youths who demanded steep fees for their services, and in most cases worsened the congestion.
Despite all that, flooding experts agreed that one of the main causes of this debacle was the scarcity of catchment areas in and around the city, including the hill resort of the Puncak, 100 kilometers from Jakarta, where most of the 13 rivers that flow through the capital originate. A decreasing number of catchment areas in and around Jakarta has caused serious flooding here more and more frequently. The Jakarta authorities claim to have complained, apparently to no avail, about the diminishing catchment areas outside Jakarta, which are so important in controlling water levels within Jakarta. Emil Salim, longtime minister of the environment, urged the central government for many years to put Jakarta and the surrounding areas under one authority but the suggestion fell on deaf ears. It is now high time to give more thought to such proposals.
As for the seriousness of this current disaster, we are of the opinion that the central government should immediately determine that the flood in Jakarta is a national disaster, because the disaster has damaged not only houses but also infrastructure. In this way the government could establish a single command structure to handle the worsening situation more effectively, improve food supplies and distribution and accept aid from other countries.