Torrential rain over Jakarta translated again into rising waters in the capital with many districts-including Central Jakarta- being again under water…
JAKARTA- Indonesian capital Jakarta saw another bout of heavy rains and attendant flooding on Wednesday afternoon, with reports of multiple main thoroughfares rendered impassable, downed trees and the capital’s Hotel Indonesia traffic circle again inundated by floodwaters.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said the torrential rains had caused some areas in Jakarta to be inundated, but assured residents that the capital’s rivers remained at safe levels.
Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho confirmed that the heavy rains had brought standing water to neighborhoods including Pluit in North Jakarta, and Central Jakarta’s Sarinah-Thamrin and Sabang areas, as well as the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.
“The inundation happened because 90 percent of the water stayed on the surface. Because Jakarta doesn’t have enough water catchment areas, the water did not go directly to the drainage pipes because we don’t have a proper drainage system,” he said.
City Hall was flooded by up to 30 centimeters of water, as was the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters, according to Detik.com. Both were also inundated during the last major flooding to hit Jakarta on Jan. 17.
Jalan Sudirman in Central Jakarta saw up to 40 centimeters of water in front of Atma Jaya University at about 5:00 p.m., according to @TMCPoldaMetro, the official Twitter account of the Jakarta Police’s traffic management unit.
It reported that Pancoran, Jalan TB Simatupang, Jalan Gerbang Pemuda and Jalan Dr. Soepomo in South Jakarta were also inundated at the time.
The traffic management unit said that by about 6:30 p.m., waters had receded along Jalan Gatot Subroto and at Jalan Casablanca underpass in South Jakarta, about the same time it reported that the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta was also down to 10 to 15 centimeters of standing water. Both roads and the roundabout were previously reported impassable for a time.
But waters remained up to 50 centimeters high in front of Mall Ciputra in West Jakarta, the traffic unit tweeted at 6:39 p.m.
Floodwaters in Tebet, East Jakarta, and Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, disrupted train services heading to Jatinegara Station in East Jakarta from Tanah Abang Station, Detik.com reported. Traffic congestion remains heavy along the Jalan Sudirman thoroughfare from Senayan to Semanggi, according to @TMCPoldaMetro.
Fallen trees caused by the rain and strong winds were reported by the police’s traffic unit across a TransJakarta busway lane in Kuningan, South Jakarta, in the Kebayoran Lama and Karet neighborhoods of South Jakarta, and in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, disrupting traffic in the areas. Felled trees were also seen near the capital’s Al-Azhar and Istiqlial mosques, according to @TMCPoldaMetro.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
