Jakarta – Flooded areas in Jakarta, Tangerang and Bekasi have paralyzed economic and office activities since the last three days in the capital. Floods also enveloped several areas in total darkness since the natural disaster incapacitated 120 power relay stations supplying 400 wattage power to public housing areas.
The Minister of Settlements and Regional Infrastructure, Soenarno, drew attention on the impact the floods left on Jakarta over the last days which appear to be more destructive on the infrastructure when compared to the natural disaster in 1996. For that reason, this time the recent flood in Jakarta has been declared a national disaster.
Soenarno said, next to the road jams on account of traffic conversion on one road, the water volume that came down from Bogor, Depok and Tangerang, was way over maximal capacity for acceptance of present water channels.
"I am appealing to the public to excercise caution. The rains will go on until March this year. Even if the rains would have lost in intensity, ground conditions are now over saturated. Rain water will not be absorbed, it will flow freely in all directions," he said. Soenarno was making the appeal since the flood disaster does not concern Jakarta citizens only, it is also affecting Medan and Surabaya. In Jakarta, eight people lost their life in the fatal deluge.
Train services canceled
Inundated stations and railways forced train cancellations, to the chagrin of office workers on their way to work. Add to that traffic jams in all areas of Jakarta, on the toll road and regular roads all day long. when this article went to the printers 00.30, jammed roads were still making the road scene in the capital and on the toll road.
Road jams were also apparent on the Jagorawi toll and Jakarta toll roads. Police observations together with the Air Police from Headquarters report that traffic lines extending from one toll to another on the Jagorawi road started from the Cibubur toll road until Kebon Jeruk, spanning a distance of 30 kilometer. The traffic had simply grounded to a halt as it could not get out of the toll road since the artery road was totally blocked.
A number of offices, banks and supermarkets on Kuningan Row, Sudirman, thamrin and Gatot Soebroto, on the Lt.Gen.s. parman Road, Block M and in other areas opened late as personnel arrived too late for work. There were few shoppers on that day.
From the position in the air, the flooded areas were clearly shown. From the air Jakarta resembled a lake of gigantic proportions. Only few small spots were untouched by the flood in Central Jakarta. The railway station Balai Yasa in Manggarai did not escape the floods either. The water in that area measured 30-60 centimeter high.
A number of trains were rendered inoperative and the route from Pasar Minggu – Manggarai and Gondangdia could only go as far as the Tebet Station. The Railway Coy. Operational District I Jakarta, Zaenal Abidin said, flood water at Manggarai Station caused delay of a number of trips. "The train service from Manggarai experienced delay. It was normalized in the afternoon," explained Abidin.
The flood also affected the Tanah Abang Station which could not cope with the deluge from the Flood Canal. Spillover from the canal forced cancellation of a series of electric train trips while other lines experienced delay. Cancellation of the train trips and other train lines stranded thousands of commuters who were waiting in several stations.
Flight delays
At the Soekarno-Hatta Airport about 80 percent of air flights experienced delay. Delays were mainly experienced by domestic flights. A few international flights, taking off in the morning, were also delayed. "80 Percent of the flights suffered delay," said the Spokesman of angkasa Pura II, tom Syahrul. Angkasa Pura is managing the western part of Indonesian airports. Even so, no specifications were made of foreign or national companies suffering delays as a side effect of floods in the capital.
Yoen K of Lion Airlines admitted that the flight to Kuala Lumpur was delayed. "For around half an hour only," he replied. It was not only the Malaysian flight, domestic flights to Medan and Makassar were also delayed with half an hour.
It is said that more than 10 percent of Lion passengers did not show up for the delayed flight, presumably on account of inaccessibility to the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Road which made them miss the flight. The delayed flights created havoc with the schedule of arrivals in Jakarta. The Sedyatmo toll road to Soekarno-Hatta Airport was not under water except for a few long standing potholes in the road which were filled with water. Delays were also caused since the flight crew and passengers as well arrived too late because of jammed-stricken roads in all of the capital and its surroundings.
"Garuda flights were delayed with one to four hours," said Garuda Communication Chief Pujobroto. Only one flight had to be canceled, that was the Pekanbaru flight. "But the Amsterdam flight on Wednesday evening departed to Jeddah according to schedule at 21.45, Pujobroto said when the time approached 21.30 last evening.
Anticipating today's situation, Garuda and newcomer Lion air company, will be making efforts to have the crew arrive earlier at Cengkareng. These were precautionary measures bearing in mind that the water gate in Bogor has been opened and that a flood of water may be expected to hit the capital, one of the areas to be affected will be the area around Soekarno-Hatta airport.
Emergency one
While the rains came down with a constant sizzling sound on and around the capital, Sutiyoso said that emergency one was in operation in areas around Ciliwung and Pesanggrahan River. Under this emergency position, people living around both these river areas, have to be evacuated to saver grounds.
The decision to declare emergency one under the circumstance by Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso after a surprise meeting with Jakarta Administration Conference Leaders which was attended by the metro Jaya District Police Chief, Inspector General Makbul Padmanagara, Jaya Military District Commander, Major General Bibit Waluyo, and the Chairman Jakarta District Parliament, Edy Waluyo and the Head of the Weather Bureau Meteorology and Geophysics, Paulus Winarso.
Aside from a high rainfall, the water level at water sluices is still high. The Public Works Service of Jakarta, IGK Suena explained, at the Pesanggrahan water sluice, a water level of 2,85 meter was noted, at Depok it was 2.75 meters, Manggarai 8.90 meters, and the Karet water sluice measured 6.5 meters. The water level at the Sunter water sluice has reached 2.50 meter, Pulo Gadung 6.95 meters, Sea Meter 1.24 meter, indicating that waters are still rising until afternoon.
The high water level at this sluice has been on account of flood levels of one meter or above in the surroundings. People were forced to open the sluice to decrease the accumulated water volume which a number of people have done earlier around Wednesday noon.
A crowd of hundreds rain soaked people yelled and screamed for immediate opening of the water sluice. Their demands were thwarted by Support Police Nunicipal Office and a Jakarta Civil Defense Unit and other military elements.
The Secretary Preventive Social Tension of Jakarta, Raya Siahaan said, if the Manggarai Water Sluices are foced open, more than half of Jakarta will be inundated included central areas as Menteng. Siahaan said, as many as 3.000 Support Police members and Civil Defense Units of Jakarta have been consigned to extend help and watch over all embankments and water sluices in Jakarta.
Eight dead
The flood disaster on Tuesday and Wednesday claimed eight victims. Six were dragged with the current while two others were electrocuted in the water. The flood also loosened four houses from the ground in Pondok Pinang, Kebayoran Lama District, South Jakarta. The houses vanished out of sight in the stream.
Six victims drowned in the strong current were Lukman (25) of Pondok Pinang, he was dragged by the current of Pesanggrahan River, Handoko (13) from Cipinang Besar Utara, East Jakarta. An 18-year old youth and still unidentified, also vanished in the strong current of Cipinang river, Abdul Rosyid (20) from Cawang District, East Jakarta, Pendi (70) and Nursellah (63) who used to live in the Kramat Jati Old People's Home, panicked and died on seeing that their location got flooded. Both have been long time asthma patients, they went in shock when flood waters burst in their room. They drwoned in the swirling waters.
Meanwhile, the wife and child of First Lt. CPL Guswandar were electrocuted in waters that entered the Army Boarding House at Cakung. four homes floated away in the current near Pondok Pinang. The homes belonged to Hardiman (40), Suarni (43), Wasid (38), and Takul (60).
15 billion rupiah in losses
Meanwhile, the three-day old flood caused the State Electric Company (PLN) Rp.15-16 billion loss since it was forced to shut off 120 electric relay station posts supplying 400 megawatt power.
The Executive Director PLN, Eddie Widiono stressed that the shut- down has been done for safety sake to prevent danger and larger losses. He added that decrease of the electricity load with 400 megawatt, part of the community had no access to power.
When queried about power installations, Eddie said that the power system was unharmed by the flood. No relay stations were damaged, when conditions are save, the step-up in the relay stations will be dried and power turned on again.
[Edited slightly for readability - James Balowski.]