Mayor warns E. Jakarta residents of floods
JAKARTA (JP): East Jakarta Mayor Sudarsono warned people living along the banks of the Ciliwung, the Cipinang and the Sunter rivers to evacuate as soon as possible in anticipation of wet-season floods.
"I urge all people whose houses were flooded or affected earlier this year not to wait until another big flood comes," Sudarsono said in the Jatinegara district yesterday.
In an address to officials deployed to units set up to handle floods (Apel Siaga Banjir), he said residents should not rely on common assumptions that large floods occur only once every five years.
"Do not be too late in evacuating, as a large flood like the one early this year may come soon," Sudarsono said.
The Kramat Jati subdistrict was submerged by flooding 1.5 meters deep after the Ciliwung river overflowed.
The floods which affected several areas in January and February killed 20 people and caused losses of Rp 50 billion.
In East Jakarta 300 officials are involved in handling flood control programs. They have been assigned from the mayoralty offices in charge of flood control, sanitation, fires and land transportation and traffic, local police precincts, the state- owned electricity company and the Red Cross. Their tasks include evacuating and assisting people during floods.
The ceremony attended by the officials was the last check on preparations to anticipate floods. It was delayed for 90 minutes by a downpour.
Sudarsono presented four electronic sirens to the subdistrict heads of Kramat Jati, Cawang, Bidara Cina and Kampung Melayu -- the worst affected areas in January and February.
Residents who have not evacuated will be given as much warning as possible by the sirens, Sudarsono said.
Signs of flooding are usually monitored from the rising of the level of the Ciliwung river in certain points in Bogor and Depok, upstream areas in West Java. Floods in East Jakarta last occurred eight hours after the signs were observed in Bogor, and four hours after the river level rose in Depok. (kod)