Navy Chief Visits Flash Flood Victims in Jakarta

Surabaya, E Java (Antara) -- Navy chief Admiral Ade Supandi visited a number of victims of flash floods that have been inundating the Navy housing complex in the North Jakarta\'s areas of Kelapa Gading and Sunter on Wednesday. The Navy chief\'s visit was aimed at checking the condition of the Navy personnel who were involved in the command posts and the Search and Rescue (SAR) teams controlling the flash floods in Jakarta, the Navy\'s spokesman, Col. Suradi Agung Slamet said. During the visit, Admiral Supandi toured the Navy complex by Marine Truck as well as rubber boat. Supandi then walked along the alleys in a knee high flood and visited the victims at evacuation sites, such as in the mosque and church. Apart from that, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the drainage system in Jakarta is unable to store high volume of rainwater. \"The flash floods in Jakarta on Sunday (February 8) were not caused by the overflow of major rivers, but by the failure of the drainage system to store water from the incessant heavy rains,\" Nugroho explained on Wednesday. According to him, waterways in Jakarta are able to drain only 50 to 60 millimeters of rainwater per day, while on February 8, the level of rainfall had reached 177 millimeters. The major rivers in Jakarta did not overflow that day, he affirmed. (*) Reported by Edy M Ya\'kub