'Worst flood' hits Bekasi, destroys infrastructure

'Worst flood' hits Bekasi, destroys infrastructure

Wahyuana and Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta,Bekasi

Many residents of Bekasi had to take a day off work on Monday to
clean thick mud from their houses following what is claimed to be
the biggest ever flood in the municipality and upstream areas on
Sunday.

The water in several areas had started to subside on Monday.

In the Pondok Gede Permai housing compound, for example, the
water level had declined to about five centimeters.

On Sunday, the water level was up to 1.5 meters deep.

Bekasi Mayor Akhmad Zulfaih said the floods had also damaged
the city's infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and levees
in 17 subdistricts across the municipality.

The administration estimated that remedial work would cost
about Rp 30 billion (US$3.3 million).

This figure excludes the losses suffered by residents.
Sunday's flood affected over 7,000 houses, including a number of
housing estates that had previously been regarded as flood-free
areas.

Other housing estates located between the Malang and Citarum
rivers were also flooded.

Meanwhile, over 650 residents of Kampung Melayu subdistrict,
East Jakarta, were also forced to leave their homes again on
Sunday as the floodwaters made an unwelcome return.

Last month, some 2,500 residents had to take shelter as the
Ciliwung River inundated the area.

Reports say that the poor condition of the levees lining the
Bekasi and Cikeas rivers in three areas -- Jatirasa subdistrict
(200 meters), Bojong Rawalumbu (five meters), and Kota Baru
subdistricts (15 meters), contributed to the huge flood, as well
as the fact that continuous heavy rain fell for over 10 hours
starting on Saturday.

Meanwhile, around 300 storekeepers on the ground floor of the
Mal Mega Bekasi shopping center demanded that the building
management pay them compensation for the losses they suffered due
to Sunday's floods.

This time around, the traders refused compensation in the form
of free promotion or discounted fees and service charges, which
they had been given following previous floods. They also demanded
that the management relocate them to the upper floor.
feel free to cut

"We need cash to rebuild our businesses after the floods ...
if the management fails to respond quickly, then we may take the
case to court," a representative of the traders, Rizaldi,
remarked.

The shopping mall is located on Jl. Ahmad Yani, near the
Bekasi Barat toll gate, alongside Giant hypermarket, Metropolitan
Mall I and II, Ramayana department store, Horison Hotel and Hero
department store.

While much of the ground floor was completely under water, the
parking lot, which is located above it, was also flooded.

The Malang river -- which is located about 200 meters away
from the back of the shopping complex -- burst its banks at
around 5 a.m. on Sunday.

The traders lost merchandise valued at between Rp 200 million
and Rp 400 million per shop.