...he would not have problem if the Presidential Palace was floodedJakarta (ANTARA News) - Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB) Syamsul Maarif reported on Thursday morning latest developments in flooding in the capital to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told BNPB Chief Syamsul Maarif that he would not have problem if the Presidential Palace was flooded, provided the public were protected," Head of the BNPB Data and Information Center Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said here on Thursday.
The President also asked the agency to use all the available means to mitigate the impact of flooding, Sutopo said.
"The President also has instructed the BNPB to assist the Jakarta administration in controlling the impact of flooding," he said.
The agency also reported the water level at Ciliwung River continued to rise.
"The water level at Manggarai dam reached 1,020 cm (as of Thursday morning), well above the first alert limit of 950 cm," he said.
Flood water covered most of Jakarta on Thursday, crippling transports to the capital center following incessant rains since Wednesday evening.
Many office workers from suburban areas could not enter the city center as many roads were flooded.
Passenger trains from the satellite cities of Bekasi, Depok and Tangerang have to stop halfway to Jakarta, forcing hundreds of passengers, mostly civil servants and company employees, to proceed with other means of transport or return home.
Water is as high as 50 centimeters in the Tebet and Kota railway stations in Jakarta.
The toll roads leading to Jakarta from the three satellite cities were also inundated causing heavy traffic jams.
(S012/A012 )
Editor: Ella Syafputri
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