Two days of rain flood 13 subdistricts

Two days of rain flood 13 subdistricts

JAKARTA (JP): The heavy rain drenching the city on Monday
night and yesterday afternoon drove floods waters into thousands
of houses in 13 subdistricts throughout Jakarta.

A municipal flood control post official, R. Sitindjak, said
yesterday that the flooding was mainly caused by the overloading
of drainage systems by the heavy rain rather than by the
overflowing of rivers.

"The conditions of rivers in the city were relatively normal,
except for the Cipinang river, which burst its banks in Cipinang
Besar Utara subdistrict in East Jakarta," Sitindjak said.

He said that 30 centimeters of flood water covered Cipinang
Besar Utara subdistrict.

A flood-watch staffer at Manggarai sluice gate, Ribut Permadi,
said the Ciliwung river remained within its banks in that area at
a level of 7.40 meters. The Depok flood gate reported the water
level at 1.10 meters high, also within the normal range.

In the other 11 subdistricts in East, West and Central
Jakarta, heavy downpours and high tides combined to cause
flooding, with the water reaching up to 1.5 meters in some
places.

Kramat Jati subdistrict in East Jakarta was the worst hit.
More than 200 houses in 12 neighborhood units were standing in
1.5 meter high flood water.

The local authorities evacuated 260 families, or 500 people.

An elementary school in Rambutan subdistrict, East Jakarta,
was closed because 20 cm of water was standing in the classrooms.
The school children were given a holiday until the situation
returns to normal.

In Central Jakarta, 30 cm of flood water continued to saturate
Petamburan subdistrict after last week's major flood. Mangga Dua
Selatan is also under water.

Sitindjak said many low-lying subdistricts in North Jakarta
saw flooding because of high tides.

"The main cause of the flooding in North Jakarta is the
tides," he said.

A total of three community units in Kali Baru subdistrict and
another one in Semper Timur were inundated by water which reached
70 cm high.

In the Lagoa and Kodja subdistricts flood waters stood at 45
cm high in a total of nine community units.

The Tugu Utara, Rawa Badak and Tanjung Barat subdistricts also
flooded.

Warakas subdistrict was hit by flood water because of the
overflowing of the Tiram river. About 50 cm high water stood in
14 community districts in the subdistrict, where around 12,000
families live.

"The flood happened because the river burst its banks,"
Suhidin, a staff member of the subdistrict office, said. He
blamed the mayoralty for the flood.

"Officials from the mayoralty demolished shanties located
along the river and threw the debris into the river," he said.

Early last week the worst flooding to hit the city in 20 years
damaged several areas in South, East and Central Jakarta, killing
10 people and causing material losses of Rp 39.54 billion
(US$18.39 million). (yns/29)