As Baliblog accurately predicted, Jakarta is not yet out of the woods, as far as the flooding problem. Today torrential rain compounded the mass flooding that has paralysed most of the city. The comment by the governor of the area, that the flooding was a ‘natural phenomenon’, might wash with locals, but doesn’t wash with me. Rain is a natural phenomenon, bad engineering is something man made. Typical Indonesian problem solving (ignore the problem as long as possible, then look for a quick fix). At least Jakartans are more civilized than some of the people who live in New Orleans. So far there have not been reports of looting or civil disorder, with people helping their neighbors. Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.
Storms bring fresh floods to battered Jakarta
JAKARTA (Agencies): Heavy rain inundated low-lying parts of the Indonesian capital before dawn Thursday, compounding the misery of some 200,000 people already forced from their homes by the city’s worst flooding in years, witnesses said.
A break in the rain Wednesday led to some of the filthy water receding, enabling residents and emergency workers in this city of 12 million to begin a daunting clean up operation.
But overnight fresh rain in Jakarta and in its upper areas –Depok and Bogor — water up again in many parts of the city,according to Elshinta new radio.
Many residents have to return to the temporary shelters Thursday because their houses were inundated again Thursday although many of them have began removing muds covering floors of their houses Wednesday.
“We spent yesterday mopping and scrubbing and now the waters have come again,” said Haji Jajan, 52. “I’m tired, but what can we do?” he was quoted by AP news agency as saying.
Harun, a resident of Rawa Barat district in South Jakarta,expressed their disappointment as water inundated again their house after he cleaned up along Wednesday.
“I have bought chemical liquid to make sure that my house would be free from any dangerous microbes. But water came again Today,” Harun added.
Many residents were still living on the second floors of their houses a week after major rivers across the city broke their banks.
On Thursday waters streamed back into downtown districts, re-flooding local markets, businesses and thousands of houses,witnesses said.
The rain caused conditions to deteriorate at emergency shelters at mosques, where doctors have been treating large numbers of evacuees complaining of diarrhea, respiratory problems and skin diseases.
At least 50 people have died since last Thursday when the rains started, mostly from drowning or electrocution, the Health Ministry said.
Authorities warn that the rainy season is not due to end until the end of February.
