Bekasi, West Java (ANTARA) - Bekasi Mayor Tri Adhianto stated on Tuesday that severe flooding affecting 8 out of 12 sub-districts in the city has brought public activities to a standstill.
"Bekasi City is paralyzed today. Main roads, government offices, and even hospitals are inundated. The scale of the water overflow is truly extraordinary," he said during a virtual coordination meeting with BNPB head Suharyanto and Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno.
According to Adhianto, the worst flooding has been witnessed along the Bekasi River, especially at the confluence of the Cikeas and Cileungsi rivers. The water level is reported to have crossed 8 meters, higher than during the 2016 and 2020 floods.
The flood was caused by water overflowing from the embankment built by the Ciliwung-Cisadane River Basin Center (BWSCC), he informed.
Some unfinished fault repairs and embankments along the river worsened the flooding, he continued.
"The water level was recorded above 8 meters, exceeding the height of the existing embankment. There were also several unfinished embankments, so the impact (of the flood) is very large," he informed.
The Bekasi city government had asked residents to evacuate the previous day. At present, his administration is still recording the number of residents who are holding out on the second floor of their homes and submerged vehicles.
"We will work to rehabilitate the river and coordinate with BWSCC to manage the water flow from Bogor," Adhianto said.
He also urged residents to remain vigilant and follow the evacuation directions issued by the authorities to avoid greater risks.
The flood has also exposed the geographical vulnerability of Bekasi city to hydrometeorological disasters, especially during the rainy season, he said.
Several factors have exacerbated the flooding, including water flow from upstream (Bogor), suboptimal embankment infrastructure, and environmental changes due to urbanization.
"For the long term, river rehabilitation, construction of stronger embankments, and coordination with upstream regional governments are needed," the mayor said.
"Additionally, strengthening the early warning system and educating the public on disaster mitigation are essential to prevent similar incidents in the future," he added.
