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JAKARTA - INDONESIA'S capital is preparing sand bags to shore up flood defences ahead of unusually high tides that are expected to hit the city from early next week, officials said on Saturday.
'There will be several areas that could be affected by extreme tides, particularly in north Jakarta, because some dams are below maximum elevation,' said Wishnu Subagio, the head of Jakarta's public works office.
The official, who said sand bags and wire netting filled with rocks were being prepared in vulnerable areas, said the tides were likely to start on Sunday and peak on Wednesday.
A World Bank official in Jakarta said this week there could be a 1.2-metre tidal surge on Wednesday, although Ponco Nugroho at Jakarta's meteorology agency said it might not be so high.
Flooding has frequently cut a road leading to Jakarta's international airport and an official at toll road company PT Jasa Marga said it was taking precautions.
'If water floods the toll road we will be ready with pumps and sand bags immediately,' said Mr Okke Merlina, a corporate secretary at Jasa Marga, who added that the firm was also building a barrier to prevent future flooding.
Indonesia's capital of about 10 million is often flooded in the rainy season and it can also be inundated by high tides in areas near the coast and in low-lying districts. -- REUTERS
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