Floods engulf Jambi city, school class cancelled

Torrential rains falling since Thursday have triggered floods engulfing sections of Jambi city, including residential areas near the river, such as suka Karya in Kotabaru, and Jelutung district.

In Suka Karya, hundreds of homes in two neighborhood units were submerged along with the SDN 98 Kotabaru state elementary school.

Flood levels were between 60 centimeters and 1 meter high, forcing residents to take shelter on higher ground.

“Many of our belongings have been soaked,” said resident Purwanto.

Many people could not save their possessions because the river overflowed so rapidly. Sofas and mattresses were drenched by the flood.

SDN 98 had to cancel class and send students home when classrooms were submerged.

Road access to Suka Karya was severed, and torrents made the road impassable by motorcycles.

“Floods often take place when it rains heavily, but the current flooding is the worst ever,” resident
Syarif said.

Poor water drainage caused by clogged garbage contributed to the flooding, which also occurred outside the city.

Unexpected water swamped’ homes near Jl. Gadjah Mada in Jelutung district. Several children were seen begging for money from passers-by to buy daily necessities because their food had been spoiled by the water.

At the Bumi Paal Merah Indah housing complex in Jerambah Bolong, South Jambi district, the water level reached 30 centi-meters.

“Water enters the house when it rains heavily,” resident Bambang said, adding that he blamed the municipality for being insufficiently responsive toward the recurrent flood problem.

“The government has not done anything concrete to overcome the problem,” he said.

Sepri, a resident of the flood-prone Beliung Indah housing complex expressed hopes the government and the housing developer would immediately respond to the problem.