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70 PERCENT OF JAKARTA FLOODED, ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AT STANDSTILL FOR ONE WEEK


Wednesday February 21, 2007

After weeks of sweltering heat in Jakarta, where the air-conditioning seemed just not to work at all, suddenly on Thursday, 2 February the skies opened up over the capital and torrential rains fell unrelentingly until the following Friday morning. Thursday evening, office workers found themselves wading through waist-deep water to reach home, while others were stuck in paralyzed traffic for hours until the early morning. But, the weathermen told Jakarta citizens that this was only the beginning, since these were only local rains. Rains had not yet fallen in the mountains that feed the 13 rivers that cross Jakarta on their way to the Java sea forming the estuaries of north Jakarta.
 
And rains in the mountains came only too soon. On Saturday morning the red alarm went up: the Katulampa dam in the Ciliwung river above the town of Bogor, which is the main indicator to floods in Jakarta, had risen more than 1 meter above its normal level, with waters  rushing at alarming speed.
So weathermen warned that Jakarta could expect to be flooded within 12 hours. People rushed to shop for groceries, practically cleaning up supermarkets to stock on dry foods and drinking water. Others rushed to hardware stores to buy up generators, emergency lights, batteries, cleaning tools. While other members of households rushed home to carry upstairs Televisions, electronic goods, books, carpets, and other valuables, in the hope that floods would not reach the second floor. Therefore, most thought that they were prepared for the worst. 

But, when the floods did reach the city, waters rose as high as five meters in some places.   No one expected electric power to be cut off for days, nor telephone lines and mobile phones unworkable for a week. For, with so much water bearing down on the capital, authorities had decided to open the central flood gates at Manggarai to avoid floods washing over wider areas. The Manggarai flood gates in Central Jakarta are crucial, since once opened, waters will flood the Presidential Palace and the central part of the city. Which it did indeed. Jakarta’s main arterial roads of Thamrin and Sudirman, Kuningan, Casablanca, Gatot Subroto, and the elite Menteng residential area, that had never before been flooded, found themselves suddenly knee-deep in water. In front of the BNI headquarters, flood waters came up as high as the traffic lights. And so for a few days large parts of Jakarta became completely paralyzed.
 
The floods, apparently also washed the exchange of PT Telkom, center for communications, that included the exchange for mobile and internet servers, which, when flooded went completely dead. Deputy President Director of Telkom said that it would take at least two days of cleaning and drying after the floods recede – and when that would be, was anyone’s guess. Soon the main exchange at PLN, the National Electricity company at Merdeka Selatan also became flooded, and thousands of homes were left in the dark for days. Other electricity stations across Jakarta were similarly inundated, leaving altogether some 1 million inhabitants without electricity, while power at flooded areas was immediately shut off , to reduce risks of electrocution. 

At the end of five days of flooding, Jakarta Governor admitted that 70 percent of the city was under water, with some 64 fatalities, counting in the neighbouring districts of Tangerang, Bogor, Depok and Bekasi. A number had died from electrocution, others from the cold, and a number were swept by currents. Some half a million people were in evacuation or had gone to upper floors or even climbed onto roofs. Some in inaccessible places had to do without water and food for days.

The industry and exports also suffered. One photograph showed rows and rows of newly built cars parked on a site ready for exports, the cars completely submerged to their roofs. Trucks on their way to the Tanjung Priok harbour to waiting ships, lined up the roads for kilometers, unable to wade through. 

This was the dismal picture that was Jakarta at the first week of February.
  

13 Rivers cross Jakarta and 40% of the Capital lies below Sea-level

In a press conference, Jakarta Governor, Sutiyoso explained that a number of root problems that caused the annual flooding of Jakarta during the rainy season, - which this year has reached a record high, - was the fact that 40% of Jakarta is located below sea level, said the Governor, while the city is crossed by no less than 13 rivers that meander down from a number of mountains to Jakarta’s south.

Jakarta’s population had increased tremendously, and is officially host to some 10 million population, while Greater Jakarta including surrounding districts count over16 million inhabitants.

Additionally, the mountain slopes that once absorbed rain water, - and are located in  different provinces, under different administrations - have now for a large part been transformed into real estates and luxurious villas, thereby causing rainwater to rush down unhampered to Jakarta. Illegal logging on these slopes is also another cause. 
 
In Jakarta itself, as villagers seek work in the city but have nowhere to live, squatters have pitched their hovels on river embankments, while Jakarta citizens, including squatters have used rivers as their backyard garbage dumps. In any case, even before reaching Jakarta, these rivers are already filled with garbage thrown by people in upstream towns and villages, so that rivers, canals and flood gates in the capital are perennially clogged with tons of garbage, which though sometimes cleared, can never be cleaned up completely.  

Moreover, one of the main solutions to Jakarta floods, which is the construction of the Eastern Flood Canal, was forced to be stalled because a number of land-owners and speculators have refused to budge unless the government pays them their asking price, said Governor Sutiyoso. 

To this long list, the Environment NGO Walhi, added more sins done by the Jakarta government itself. These include, giving licenses to developers to construct high-rise buildings in green areas, or omitting to provide green open spaces for rain water to seep through. Jakarta now has only 13% of open space, while the requirement is a minimum of 40%.

Many of the city lakes which serve as “polders” have been converted to urban settlements. All these developments have surely been granted license by some local authorities, indicating corrupt practices.  

Global Climate Change causing extreme drought followed by extreme rainfall in the Asia-Pacific was also blamed by scientists as another disrupting factor.
 
After the floods: piled up garbage, diarrhea, leptospirosis and Dengue Fever

And so, when after four clear days the floods finally subsided, the scene was one of trash strewn all over town, some hanging on railings some three meters high.  Garbage was not only carried and scattered by flood waters, but now included discarded furniture, sofas, beds, tables, mattresses, which were dumped outside homes with other garbage by citizens whose homes were spoilt by the filthy flood waters.  After one week, garbage personnel have managed to clean up Central Jakarta only.

Mud was another problem. There was mud on the roads, and in the homes. And so, fire-brigades were sent to help hose down mud in thousands of homes. City governments followed this up with fogging to kill mosquitoes and disinfect districts from other sources of diseases.

Meanwhile, as Jakarta’s traffic started to come to life, drivers found themselves faced with potholes eroded by flood waters. 

In the meantime also, floods had caused hundreds of children and the aged to contract diarrhea, dengue fever or leptospirosis. Dengue fever is caused by mosquitos, and leptospirosis by a virus existing in the urine of mice, presumably carried by the floods. Today, hospitals and the Department of Health set up emergency tents and hospitals and recruit extra personnel from other cities to care for the hundreds of sick that daily report to hospitals, which are already bursting at the seams.     

Accelerating Flood Mitigation Measures

Even at the height of the floods, President Yudhoyono went around to console the stricken in evacuation camps, and to make sure that evacuees had sufficient food and water. Then, to the consternation of the President’s entourage, SBY – as the President is more familiarly known – went right into the flood waters to inspect damaged installations. (Of course Ministers and assistants all had to follow suit right into the filthy water).

In the ensuing emergency cabinet meeting the President instructed the acceleration of low cost high-rise flats for the poor to prevent random squatting. He also instructed Cabinet ministers to work with the Jakarta Governor to construct the East Flood Canal and to provide counterpart funding from the national bueget. The President also asked Parliament to accelerate ratification of Bills on the status and powers of the Capital City of Greater Jakarta, and the Bill on Natural Disasters. 
The national government further promised the province of Jakarta to transfer Rp 2.7 trillion (US$300 million) earmarked for flood alleviation work in the capital. Provincial Secretary Ritola Tasmaya  said that the funds would be used by the city administration to complete four short-term projects by the end of 2008. These are land acquisitions for the East Flood Canal project, repairing the city drainage system, dredging rivers and constructing retaining ponds to collect water runoff. The national government share had been approved by Parliament and is now in the process of disbursement.
Jakarta Post further reported that for the East Flood Canal project, which will cost an estimated Rp 1.3 trillion, the central government had agreed to spend Rp 500 billion for its construction, while the city administration is required to provide Rp 800 billion for land acquisition.
The 23.5-kilometer long canal was initially scheduled for completion this year, but was delayed until 2010 in part because of difficulties in acquiring the land.
State Minister for National Development Planning Paskah Suzetta, meanwhile said that the central government and the Jakarta administration would spend a total of Rp 2.7 trillion to develop flood mitigation infrastructure. Of that sum, Rp 1.9 trillion will come from the central government's budget and the other Rp 800 billion from the Jakarta administration.
Minister Suzetta, clarifying earlier reports on spending for the infrastructure development, added that the government would also allocate Rp 1.4 trillion for the development of retaining ponds in Jakarta.
Meanwhile, upstream, the District Government of Bogor has budgeted Rp2 trillion to re-siting of the Puncak resort area, with funds to be received from the provinces of West Java and Jakarta, the National Government  to provide more open areas to better absorb rain water, reported Media Indonesia on Line.
Parts of the funds will also go to the reconstruction of 98 ponds and reforestation in the Pucak resort area.   
An estimated Rp. 8.8 trillion in losses and damages caused by Jakarta Floods
In the latest development, Minister for National Planning, Paskah Suzetta informed that in cooperation with UNDP it was concluded that total damage and loss caused by the February floods in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi was valued at Rp. 5.2 trillion, of which Rp.4.5 trillion were in assets owned by the population or the private sector. Rp. 650 billion were damages to government assets and state owned and regionally owned enterprises. Additionally, Rp. 3.6 trillion were estimated to be indirect losses to the economy.

Damage and loss to an estimated 146,000 private houses (90,000 in Jakarta) were estimated to reach Rp. 1.13 trillion, with Rp. 845 billion damage inflicted on infrastructure.

Whereas, direct losses to the economic productive sector amounted to Rp. 2.9 trillion, which was suffered mainly by the automotive and electronic industries, textiles, furniture industry, the informal sector and 40 traditional markets. And these do not yet include damages to schools, public health clinics, government offices, the police, and other losses to the financial sector.       Fortunately, these floods will not cause much loss to Jakarta’s GDP, said the Minister, whose GDP is expected to decline by 0.59%, since Jakarta’s economy relies more heavily on industry and services.

However, the worst is not yet over. People in Jakarta are still bracing themselves for more floods, as the weather bureau informs that more light to heavy rains must be expected until the end of February and well into March.

(Sources: RCTI, SCTV, Metrotv, Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia)    (Tuti Sunario)