Jakarta (ANTARA) - Over 1,200 residents of East Jakarta's Kebon Pala area bore witness to flooding on early Monday after the Ciliwung River overflowed following torrential rains in Bogor, West Java, though floodwaters began receding on Monday morning.
The floodwaters reached a height of over 1.5 meters before they began receding at around 7:30 a.m. local time, according to a resident of Kebon Pala named Jhony, 41.
The Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported on Sunday evening that the water level in the Sunter Hulu River had touched 300 centimeters at around 10 p.m. local time or had exceeded its normal height of 150 centimeters.
The downpour in Bogor, West Java Province, had caused an increase in the water volume of Sunter Hulu River, located at the meeting point of Ciliwung River on Kebon Pala in Kampung Melayu neighborhood, Jatinegara Sub-district, according to the agency.
As of Monday morning, floodwaters had yet to recede completely. Local residents chose to stay put in their two-storey houses rather than shift to temporary shelters.
Head of the Kampung Melayu Neighborhood Setiawan stated that the flooding had affected some 1,264 residents from the Kebon Pala residential areas of RW04, RW05, RW06, RW07, and RW08.
"The floodwaters arose from Bogor, with our residents in RW04 bearing the maximum brunt since the floodwaters had reached a height of more than 1.5 meters," Setiawan revealed.
Early this year, flash floods, triggered by high-intensity rainfall over several days, had swamped several areas in 17 sub-districts of Jakarta as well as several other sub-districts in the capital city's metropolitan areas, including Bekasi and Bogor.
At least 46 people lost their lives in the floods that also compelled 173,064 residents in the Greater Jakarta areas to move to safer ground, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure against flooding triggered by this year's rainy season, the Central Jakarta city government has planned to build 34 temporary shelters for local residents.
Central Jakarta Mayor Bayu Meghantara notified local journalists in Kemayoran on Sept 23 that last year, the city government had established temporary shelters at 20 locations, while this year, the figure would be increased to 34.
Meghantara spoke of having mapped out Central Jakarta’s areas prone to flooding during the rainy season, including Benhil, Petamburan, and Karet Tengsin, as well as areas along the Ciliwung Riverbank.
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