T

he Angke River overflowed on Friday afternoon as a result of a tidal flood, inundating the area around Jl. Tubagus Angke in West Jakarta to a depth of about 15 centimeters.

The flooding caused widespread traffic congestion.

West Jakarta Water Management Agency head Imron Syahrin said the Angke in Grogol Petamburan and Penjaringan had previously been widened and dredged.

“However, as Jl. Tubagus Angke is lower than the river, the water overflowed onto the road,” he said, as quoted by beritajakarta.com.

He said the floodwater could not be pumped given the respective levels of the river and street.

“It will recede naturally when the tide goes back to normal,” he said.

Muladi, 51, a local shop owner, said the road was always inundated when the tidal flood occurred.

“When the tide recedes, the flooding will also recede,” he said.

The city administration relies on water pumps as well as raising the level of streets to tackle the tidal flooding that frequently occurs in parts of North and West Jakarta as a result of land subsidence.