Jakarta (Republika online: (03/02/07) Many students also gave themselves the day off. The result: schools were closed for the day. “As many as 1,489 schools in Jakarta were inundated. Specifically 1,295 SD, 174 SMP, and 30 SMU,'' said the Head of the Elementary Education Department of DKI Jakarta, Sylviana Murni. 

PLN Disjaya had to temporarily stop the supply of electricity to several areas in Jakarta due to flooding. About 455 MW or 11.36 percent of the average consumption to DKI was halted since Friday (2/2) at 13:00 WIB. A total of 1,250 transmission stations, 781 stations in the east and 169 stations in the west of Jakarta have been cut off. Regions whose supply of electricity has been cut off include among others: Cakung, Cilincing, Ciputat Raya, South Kemang, Komdak Metro Jaya, Gatot Subroto, Pulogading, Daan Mogot, Kawasan Industri Pulogadung, Duren Tiga, Kalibata Utara, Tendean, Kompleks Green Garden, and Rawa Buaya.

Telkom: Affected areas are STO Semanggi II with a capacity of 70 thousand individual phone connection units. Phone lines that were affected are telephone numbers starting with 51, 52, 514, and 25. Services using Internet Protocol also had insufficient electricity. In addition, there has been a drop of network performance in several locations.

XL: Around 60-70 BTS of Excelcomindo Pratama are down. “Because the batteries ran out of electricity,” said Venture Elisawati, Head of Corporate Communication Excelcomindo Pratama. Services of several BCA ATMs and Halo BCA providers were interrupted. “We hope the problems of flooding and telecommunications can be dealt with, “was said at a BCA press conference. Interference to clearing activities and RTGS were also experienced at a number of other banks.

Transactions still took place at BES, but was done manually. Transjakarta bus service for Corridors II (Pulogadung-Harmoni), III (Kalideres-Harmoni), IV (Pulogadung-Dukuh Atas), and VI (Ragunan-Kuningan) was discontinued, while the remaining corridors which are Corridor I (Blok M-Kota), V (Kampung Melayu-Ancol), and VII (Kampung Melayu-Kampung Rambutan) were operational, although not at optimal levels.

Employees at several offices chose not to come to work, because access from their homes to the office was cut off.

Flooding and traffic jams also hindered students from getting to school. Many students also gave themselves the day off. The result: schools were closed for the day. “As many as 1,489 schools in Jakarta were inundated. Specifically 1,295 SD, 174 SMP, and 30 SMU,'' said the Head of the Elementary Education Department of DKI Jakarta, Sylviana Murni.

Due to flooding, a number of train routes were disrupted. Only the Jakarta-Bogor route remained operational. Jakarta-Bekasi route was disrupted. The Jakarta-Tangerang route was completely paralyzed.

Jakarta’s flooding hurt the countryside’s rice suppliers. Eko Purwanto, one of the rice suppliers from Banyumas expressed that currently there are hundreds of tons of rice which for two days lay on the main streets. This rice is to be sent to Pasar Indunk Cipinang. “The trucks for transporting the rice departed last Thursday (1/2), but on Friday it hasn’t arrived at Pasar Cipinang, “ he said. Of distributing the rice to Jakarta also worried the traders at Pasar Cipinang, not to mention that reserves are decreasing more and more.

Not only was the distribution of rice hampered, but also that of gasonline. Even though reserves were in the safe levels, according to Head of Communications at Pertamina, Tohasrso, the traffic of trucks entering and exiting Plumpang is not smooth. Pertamina will redirect 15 percent of Plumpang traffic to Depok Cikampek.

Comparing floods of 2007 and 2002

Friday (2/2) around 11.00 WIB, the at Manggarai reached 940 cm from the normal 750 cm mark. During the 2002 floods, it reached 1.050 cm. During the same time, water levels at Karet reached 700 cm, while during the 2002 floods it reached 1.030. At the Katulampa water levels reached 50 cm and in Depok 150 cm.

Jakarta flooding in 2002 was caused by incessant rains at the far end (Bogor area) and over here. This time the intensity of the rains happened in turns. Thursday (1/2) it rained at the far end, yesterday (2/2) at the other.