A Capital City that is Never Prepared for Floods
Dark clouds hung low over the capital city on Tuesday (21/2/2017) morning. Hard rain poured down from dawn to midday. It was chaos in Jakarta. Residential areas, arterial roads and railways were flooded. Many who live on flood-prone areas were still unprepared for the routine disaster.
In Kampung Kebon, Kemang, South Jakarta, locals had been preparing for their usual daily activities before the flood. At 5 a.m., sanitation officer Amsir, 50, left his house to work, just like any other day.
Amsir had never thought that it would be the last time he saw his wife Novi EkaMeliana, 31, the mother of his three children Reyhan, 8; Risma, 5; and Risya, 7 months.
Not long after Amsir left his home that morning, the nearby Krukut River overflowed. According to locals, the inundation occurred faster and higher than usual. Novi and her neighbors immediately left their homes and took shelter at the Al Muhajirin mosque on Jl. Kemang Raya, some one kilometer away.
After making sure that her three children were safe at the mosque, Novi attempted to return to her house. She never returned to the mosque. The young mother was later found to have been electrocuted by a stray cable at her home.
Lamini, 62, another resident of Kampung Kebon, said that floods had hit the neighborhood numerous times. The flood on Tuesday was not as severe as the one last year. However, it was unexpected and the flood level heightened at a faster pace. Locals did not realize that a few hours of hard rain would make the Krukut River overflow.
The flood in Jakarta on Tuesday also claimed the life of teenager Ikmal Lopery, 14, in Kalideres, West Jakarta. Public Facility Maintenance (PPSU) officer Deni, 45, went missing in Pegangsaan Dua sub-district, North Jakarta. At the time of writing, Deni was not yet found. The PPSU officer was alleged to have slipped while riding his motorbike at the Betik conduit in Rawa Sengon.
At the stretch of Mookervart River in Kampung Duri, Semanan, Kalideres, West Jakarta, Ikmal Lopery drowned while playing on the riverbank when the river almost overflowed to Jl. Raya Daan Mogot. He was carried away by the current and his body was found on 2:45 p.m.
In Cipinang, East Jakarta, the three-day inundation from the overflowing Sunter River expanded. The flood became more severe after Kalimalang River also overflowed and created a two-meter inundation.
Flooding also hit Cipinang Indah and Cipinang Muara, affecting around 1,000 families at the Sunter riverbank. The number of evacuees continues to increase.
An official from community unit (RW) 003 in Cipinang Melayu, Esther Sandina said that the inundated area expanded from five neighborhood units (RT) in RW 003 on Sunday to nine neighborhood units on Tuesday. “On Sunday and Monday, 200 families evacuated their homes. The number has now reached 533 families,” she said.
Evacuees faced shortages of clean water, blankets, diapers, formula milk for babies and other daily needs. Large floods have often occurred at this place for more than ten years. An early warning system was put in place. Nevertheless, when disasters hit, not all evacuees’ needs can be immediately met.
Paralyzing
The flood nearly paralyzed major activities in the capital city. Mass transportation services were disrupted and many stretches of arterial and toll roads were flooded. Many were unable to reach their schools and offices on time. Many others stayed home as they were afraid they would be trapped in endless traffic jams.
Diah Wahyuningsih, 30, a resident of Condet, Kramatjati, East Jakarta, decided to try her luck and left her home for her office in Jl. Sudirman amid the torrential rain on Tuesday morning. After getting soaked on her way to Kalibata train station, she needed to wait a long time for the train to arrive due to signaling problems. “I usually take only one hour to get to my office. Today it took more than two hours,” she said.
Many of her office colleagues, especially those residing in Bekasi, Tangerang and South Tangerang arrived late at the office. “It was really chaotic today. Public transportation was disrupted and the traffic jams were just insane at the major and toll roads,” she continued.
Disruption of train services resulted in thousands being stranded for hours at stations. In Manggarai station, the pedestrian tunnel was inundated. State-owned commuter train operator PT KAI Commuter Jabodetabek (KCJ) senior corporate communication manager Eva Chairunnisa said that many train services were disrupted in Jakarta as water inundated Kampung Bandan, Jakarta Kota, Tebet, Kalideres, and Rawa Buaya stations.
Transjakarta rapid bus services were disrupted for eight hours. Jakarta transportation agency deputy head Sigit Widjamoko said that the disruptions occurred in three corridors, namely Corridor 5 (Kampung Melayu-Ancol); Corridor 4 (Pulogadung-Dukuh Atas); and Corridor 10 (Tanjung Priok-Cililitan). Parts of the Transjakarta busways were inundated.
Proper management
Thorough anticipation, comprising early warning systems on all watershed areas, a disaster-ready public transportation management system and public disaster preparedness, are ongoing homework for the central government and the Jakarta administration.
Urban issues expert Nirwono Yoga said that he saw several causes for floods in Jakarta. First, localized floods are caused by the lack of water catchment areas and an improperly-functioning drainage system.
Second, rising sea levels during high tides can trigger tidal flooding on the city’s north shores. Third, floods can also be caused by water flowing from upstream areas experiencing heavy rains. These three factors can occur concurrently, resulting in terrible floods.
It is important for the central government and the Jakarta administration, Nirwono continued, to make efforts to overcome these three types of floods. Rehabilitation of all primary, secondary and tertiary water culverts must be done. They must all be properly connected to one another and freed from waste and mud. Utility networks must also be neatly arranged.
Active engagement by citizens must be fostered as the city will not be able to resolve floods using only physical infrastructure projects. Residents’ behavior, including in managing trash and preparing for disaster, must be fostered.
“Normalization of all rivers and tributaries must also be carried out,” Nirwono said.
Installing sheet piles, he continued, was not a one-size-fits-all solution. River management and revitalization of lakes with environmentally friendly construction is a proper long-term flood control solution. It is improper that a city with centuries of history dealing with floods is unprepared every time flood occurs.
(DEA/IRE/JOG/WIN/HLN/ART/NEL)