Jakarta – Up to 143 neighborhood units (RT) were flooded after heavy rains lashed the capital on Tuesday, the Jakarta administration said.

According to data from the head of the Jakarta Communication, Information and Statistics Agency, Atika Nur Rahmania, on Wednesday, the floods occurred in 30 subdistricts in North and West Jakarta, with water levels reaching as high as 80 centimeters. The flooding occurred around 6 a.m. and receded steadily throughout the day.

In West Jakarta, the water inundated 115 RTs in 15 subdistricts and six districts in the municipality. Water from the Semongol River in Tegal Alur and the Angke River in Kembangan Selatan also contributed to the flooding. In North Jakarta, 28 RTs in 15 subdistricts and six districts in the municipality were flooded.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan downplayed the potential of flooding after the heavy rain on Tuesday morning.

"How much RTs were affected and what was the duration of the flooding? This sensational [news] is not the same as conditions on the ground," Anies told reporters.

Meanwhile, the West Jakarta Health Agency advised residents to be careful of leptospirosis that could infect people.

"For residents that are affected by the flood, they should be careful of leptospirosis. This disease originates from rat urine that are usually mixed with flood water," agency head Kristy Wathini said on Wednesday as reported by kompas.com.

Kristy advised residents to wear shoes when walking in flooded areas and clean their hands and feet using soap afterwards. She warned that leptospirosis was a serious disease that could lead to death. (ami)

Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/03/06/floods-hit-143-jakarta-neighborhood-units.html