0 Areas of Jakarta on Top Alert Due to Floods

With the water level at some floodgates already reaching dangerous levels, Jakarta authorities have issued a top-level flood alert for some areas of the capital, an official said on Wednesday. The Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) stated that the new warning was issued after the water level at the Karet floodgate in South Jakarta had reached 660 centimeters. Additionally, the water level at the Katulampa floodgate in Bogor was at 180 centimeters at around 1 p.m., prompting a raise in the alert status.

“The water level rose from 70 centimeters to 189 centimeters. The high rain volume in the upstream areas is fast raising the water volume,” said Andi Sudirman, an employee at the Katulampa dam. On Tuesday morning, the height of the water at the Katulampa gate rose from 150 centimeters to 210 centimeters in a matter of hours. At the Manggarai floodgate, the water level measured 929 centimeters, while at the Pasar Ikan floodgate in North Jakarta, the water reached 206 centimeters. 

Both gates were not yet given a top-level alert status. Floods have already hit the Karet area of Tanah Abang. At Jalan Karet Pasar Baru Barat I and II, flood waters were 50 centimeters deep. Rina Pangaribuan, a resident who lives in the area, said that the flooding began on Tuesday evening. “We opted not to evacuate yet because our house already has a second story, so we can sleep on the upper floor,” Rina said. 

Andi, a floodgate attendant in Katulampa, said that he expected Jakarta to be hit late Wednesday evening by a high volume of water flowing through the Ciliwung, and called on downstream regions to anticipate more floods. “The water at Katulampa has been rising steadily since 10 a.m.,” he said, adding that heavy rains have fallen over Bogor and upstream areas since then. On Jalan Jatinegara Barat, Tuesday evening floods reached a depth of 50 centimeters, and shops and businesses operating along the road remained closed on Wednesday. 

Magdalena, who owns a shop on the road, said that all of her goods were moved to a warehouse elsewhere following reports of the rising water levels. On Wednesday, she did not open her business. “Today there is no income at all,” she said. However, Eka, another food vendor, continued to operate her small roadside food stall despite the flooding. “I did not know that the water would be this deep,” she said, adding however that business was about 50 percent up compared to regular days. “The thing is no one else is open, so people are eating here,” she said smiling.

source : the jakarta globe