No end yet to flooding misery

JAKARTA. Jakarta’s rush hour was made worse on Tuesday with many parts of the city inundated from overflowing rivers, including middle- and upper-class residential areas.

Torrential rain in upstream areas and downtown Jakarta since the morning led to overflowing rivers in four municipalities, sending water flooding into a number of major traffic access points and suburban areas.

The Jakarta Police’s Traffic Management Center (TMC) reported that at least 10 areas in Jakarta were under water between 10 centimeters and 1 meter deep.

Of the seven inundated areas in South Jakarta, Lebak Bulus and Pesanggrahan suffered the most severe inundation, with water in Lebak Bulus reaching a depth of 1 meter.

The other five areas were Pondok Labu, Tanah Kusir, Bungur, Cipulir Market and Kemang.

The Kemang residence of Hidayat Nur Wahid, former speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and chief patron of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) who is running for Jakarta governor, was flooded by 50 centimeters of water.

The house is located only 100 meters from the Krukut River. Overflowing water from the river joined a counter-flowing stream from drains, inundating the area at 2 a.m.

In Central Jakarta, Jl. Gunung Sahari, a busy thoroughfare connecting Ancol in North Jakarta and Senen in Central Jakarta, was flooded by water 20 centimeters deep.

In West Jakarta, Jl. Panjang, another commonly congested thoroughfare, was also inundated by 20 centimeters of water. In East Jakarta, Jl. Kerja Bakti in the Makasar district was flooded.

In the afternoon, heavy rain in the capital caused rainwater to inundate Jl. Asia-Afrika in Central Jakarta; the Pancoran intersection in South Jakarta; Jl. Penjaringan in North Jakarta; Tomang toll road; the on-off-ramp of Pesing overpass in West Jakarta as well as Jl. Cabe Raya in South Tangerang.

The Jakarta Public Works Agency deputy chief Tarjuki said the flooding was made worse by the low capacity of rivers to contain the water due to clogged and decreased river width in the city. “The drainage system cannot contain the water volume.”

According to National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) data, the 13 rivers and two flood canals running through the city only have the capacity to drain between 17 and 80 percent of rainwater.

Among rivers with low-drainage capacities are the Ciliwung River, which has the capacity to drain only 17 percent of rainwater, Krukut River with 37 percent and Pesanggrahan with 21 percent.

“An increase in water flow was recorded at a number of sluice gates, raising warning levels,” Tarjuki said.

Water levels at sluice gates at Katulampa in Bogor, Pesanggrahan in West Jakarta and Krukut Hulu in South Jakarta reached an alarming 200 centimeters, 155 centimeters and 120 centimeters respectively in the early hours of Tuesday.

Governor Fauzi Bowo said that the city administration was working to install two pumps to prevent inundation from Pesanggrahan River in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta.

“The pumps will be installed and will be operational next month. We have informed the local residents,” he said.

Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) chief Arfan Arkili said that the flooding had forced 850 people in Ulujami subdistrict in South Jakarta and 50 people in Pasar Rebo subdistrict in East Jakarta to take refuge. “They had returned by the late afternoon.” (Andreas D. Arditya and Iman Mahditama/ The Jakarta Post)