Official warns city residents of flooding

Official warns city residents of flooding

JAKARTA (JP): Torrential rainfall on Monday night served as a
warning to city residents of flooding during the ongoing wet
season, an official said on Tuesday.

Head of the City Public Works Agency Fadly Katib said the
heavy rain had caused water in the city drainage system to
inundate the roads and areas prone to flooding in the capital.

He said his agency had recorded at least 26 inundations across
the capital following the rain, with water levels ranging between
10 centimeters and 40 centimeters in depth.

Among the most seriously affected areas was Central Jakarta,
where the water level reached a record high of 40 centimeters on
Jl. Cempaka Putih Barat, Jl. Agus Salim, and around the Sarinah
shopping center on Jl. Thamrin.

The city flood control unit reported the rainfall on Monday
night as being far above the normal level of 50 millimeters,
causing an increase in the water level of rivers flowing through
the capital.

According to a report from the Meteorology and Geophysics
Agency, the highest rainfall was recorded in the Bekasi area,
east of Jakarta, reaching 111 millimeters, while the lowest
rainfall was Depok, south of the city, where it reached 36
millimeters.

Meanwhile, in East Jakarta, overnight rain caused flooding at
the Hek water gate in Kramat Jati.

Flooding in the area was mainly the result of debris from
trees which blocked the drains.

However, Fadly said that the public works agency had cleared
the blocked drains on Tuesday.

"Most of these areas lack flood control equipment, including
early warning systems to alert the community of an incoming flood
hours ahead of time," he said.

In preparation for the coming rainy season and its usual
floods, Fadly called on residents to clean local drains in their
respective neighborhoods.

He said that most of the inundations in the capital on Monday
night were caused by garbage blocking up the drainage system.

Fadly added that most of the floods occurred in flood-prone
areas, and had been tackled by flood control units.

"We call on all residents to increase monitoring of their
nearest floodgates and the flow of the city's rivers, through a
patrol system to prevent more flooding," he said.

There are 13 rivers flowing through Jakarta.

The city administration set aside Rp 30 billion (about US$3.15
million) last year to cope with floods.

According to city spokesman, Muhayat, about 87 percent of the
allocated budget had been used for the completion of various
prevention projects, such as the construction of drainage
systems.

The funds also covered maintenance and the purchasing of new
pumps, floodgates and electric generators, as well as the
cleaning of canals and waterways.

However, he added, the plan would not guarantee that Jakarta
would be free of floods, given the fact that 40 percent of the
capital's area was below sea level. (07/04)