Head of Data and Information Center of BNPB Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said here on Sunday that floods had forced residents of South Jakarta (8,332), West Jakarta, (8,314), North Jakarta (7,809), East Jakarta (4,824) and Central Jakarta (1,505) to take shelters in 140 refugee camps across Jakarta.
"Meanwhile, floods also affected 48,263 residents of 74 villages in 30 subdistricts," Nugroho said.
Seven residents were reported to have died due to the floods.
Incessant rain for a week has caused floods in several parts of Jakarta.
The Agency predicted the rain intensity will remain high until early February.
On Tuesday (Jan 14) BNPB began to apply the weather modification technology, with Rp20 billion (around US$1.6 million) budget allocation, to alter the weather and decrease the amount of water received from rainfall in Jakarta during the peak of the rainy season between January-March.
The weather modification technology will apply two strategies, which include accelerating precipitation (jumping process) and preventing cloud formation.
The jumping process is implemented by spraying salt (NaCl) using a C-130 Hercules heavy transport aircraft, capable of carrying eight tons of salt into cloud formations having heavy rain potential by affecting their development and increasing precipitation in order to trigger rainfall before they enter the Jakarta region. Thus, the clouds shed rains over the Java Sea or the Sunda Strait, rather than Jakarta.
The second strategy involves the installation of 24 Ground Based Generators (GBG) and Ground Particle Generators (GPG) in some areas of Jakarta.
The devices will emit gases and particles of salt that will float into the newly forming clouds.
"The second method will prevent cloud formation, which will reduce the intensity of rains," Nugroho added.
"The weather modification technology will not damage the environment or affect the quality of rain water or the water supply," Nugroho claimed.
Meanwhile, the high intensity rain also caused floods in several area in Java Island such as Bekasi, Karawang, Subang, Indramayu, Pemalang, Pekalongan, Batang, Semarang, Kudus and Pati, BNPB reported.
(A059/A014)
Reporter: Aditya E.S. Wicaksono
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
