Natural flooding chaos predicted for Jakarta

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Huge floods have been predicted to hit Jakarta in about two weeks with the city administration admitting Wednesday that it would not be able to save residents from a natural disaster.

Head of the City Public Works Agency IGK Suena said the flood, the result of the so-called five-year cycle, would be caused by heavy rainfall in Jakarta and its surrounds and higher than normal sea levels.

"We asked residents to be ready to be evacuated," Suena told reporters at City Hall after a meeting to discuss responses to the expected disaster.

Suena said the city had set up a team to anticipate the flood and to prepare a number of emergency measures, such as rubber boats and public kitchens in flood-prone areas.

Suena, citing meteorological data, predicted that flood levels could reach 1.5 meters, but along riverbanks in Ciliwung it could almost submerge homes as in 1996 when flooding affected most areas of the city.

At least 78 areas in the city would be hit by the flood with the worst areas including in North Jakarta and some areas in West Jakarta.

There are 22 flood-prone areas in North Jakarta, such as Sunter, Teluk Gong, Kamal, and Pademangan, and 17 flood-prone areas in West Jakarta, including the Tegal area.

In Central Jakarta, there are nine flood-prone areas, including Mangga Besar, Pangeran Jayakarta and Cempaka Putih, while in East Jakarta, there are 12 flood-prone areas, including Kampung Rambutan, Kampung Makassar, Cipinang and Pulomas.

In South Jakarta, there are 19 flood-prone areas, including Pejaten, Bukit Duri, Gandaria, and Rawa Jati.

Some 40 percent of the 24,000 hectare city is located in low- lying areas, mostly in North Jakarta where many areas are one meter below sea level.

The city has 139 water pumps, half of which are old, and 156 water gates and several water dams, such as in Pluit and Ancol, North Jakarta and Kebon Melati, Central Jakarta which were not believed to still be able to tackle the flood.

Suena said the city could avoid flooding if a huge flood canal, estimated to cost trillions of rupiah, was built in eastern and northern parts of Jakarta.

"The city will not be free of flooding until the canal can be built," he said.

The long canal in the east together with the current west flood canal could accommodate water from the city's 13 rivers before the water drains into the sea in the north.

Construction will begin this year with the gradual construction of the east canal, which was planned in the 1970s by a Dutch designer.

It is not clear yet when the canal will be completed.