A Summary of Jakarta's Widespread Flooding

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A large number of areas in Jakarta were once again surrounded by mild to extreme flooding after the city and its surrounding areas endured a lengthy rainstorm that lasted from the late evening of Monday, February 24, up to the following day. 

So, how severe did urban flooding affect the city’s residents? Here is what we can summarize for you:

Flooded 294 community units and displaced 3,565 people from their homes 

Head of the Center for Data and Information’s Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Mohamad Insyaf, reported at least 295 community units (RW) were submerged under floodwater on Tuesday, February 25. This caused 3,565 city residents to take refuge on drier grounds. This means 10.74 percent of Jakarta’s entire 2,738 community units were affected. 

Several lives were lost due to the flooding 

Mannequin heads are pictured at a residential area flooded in Bekasi, West Java province, Indonesia, January 3, 2020. Nearly 175,000 people remain displaced in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta and nearby towns, after flash floods and landslides killed at least 53 people, amid some of the heaviest rain since records began, authorities said on Saturday. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

The West Jakarta police confirmed that an unidentified child had reportedly drowned in the East Tangki Lio River in Tamansari, West Jakarta. In a separate location, a motorcyclist identified as Rahmat Hidayat was killed after sustaining severe head injuries after falling off his motorcycle as he rode over a pothole that was invisible due to the floods. 

Jakarta’s odd-even number plate policy was temporarily dropped 

People ride motorcycles along a flooded street in Bekasi, near Jakarta, Indonesia February 25, 2020. Flooding was particularly severe in the Bekasi area west of the capital, though big swathes of the low-lying city were also badly affected. Antara Foto/Fahkri Hermansyah

The Metro Jaya Traffic Police once again annulled the odd-even number plate policy following the number of Jakarta streets that were severely flooded and made it impossible for vehicles to pass. 

8,000 personnel were mobilized by City Officials 

The Jakarta Provincial Government mobilized 8,000 personnel to handle the floods that were spread across a large number of spots across the capital city. The local administration also operated additional floodwater pumps. 

PLN disables 1,564 substations due to safety concerns 

State-owned electricity firm PLN decided to temporarily disable 1,564 substations in flood-stricken areas in the capital city, West Java, and Banten. 

PT KAI offers a complete refund on purchased tickets 

Jakarta’s Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) branch canceled all train ticket purchases due to the number of stations that were crippled by the flooding, which had also affected one of the city’s train stations, Gambir. The branch’s spokesperson Eva Chairunisa said train passengers who already purchased tickets are eligible for a full refund in a maximum of three days following the train’s departure date. 

Angry mob attacks AEON Mall, blaming severe floods on the mall’s existence 

Residents nearby the East Jakarta’s AEON Mall, which is located within the high-end housing complex, gathered at the mall and expressed their anger by vandalizing facilities in the mall on Tuesday morning of February 25. The protesting residents blamed the mall’s construction for the flooding in their area.

HALIDA BUNGA