SUMATRA, JAVA HIT BY FLOODS IN EARLY RAINY SEASON by Fardah

  Jakarta, Nov 21, 2014 (Antara) - As Indonesia begins to experience heavy rains, several provinces of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Riau, and Bengkulu on the Sumatra Islands, and Jakarta and West Java on Java Island, have reported floods.

         In Aceh, thousands of villagers in Menggamat, South Aceh District, have been isolated since Nov. 19, 2014, as a landslide buried a seven-kilometer-long road there.

         The landslide that hit the Kotafajar-Menggamat hilly area, was triggered by incessant heavy rains that started on Nov. 18, 2014, according to Head of the Aceh disaster mitigation office (BPBD) Cut Syazalisama.

         Farm fields and thousands of houses in a number of villages in East Kluet sub district, South Aceh, were inundated as the Krueng Kluet River overflowed.

         The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBN) allotted Rp1.4 billion to help flood victims at seven districts in Aceh, the Governor of the province, Zaini Abdullah, announced in Banda Aceh on Nov. 12, 2014.

         The seven flood-hit districts in Aceh are Aceh Besar, Aceh Jaya, West Aceh, Southwest Aceh, Nagan Raya, South Aceh, and Aceh Singkil. Each district received Rp200 million as aid.

         The Aceh Disaster Mitigation Office distributed relief aid worth Rp2.1 billion, the governor noted.

         President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo personally donated 1,500 packages of basic needs for flood victims in West Aceh.

         Floods and landslides in 10 sub districts in South Aceh and Banda Aceh, have caused material losses of up to Rp17 billion.

         Since October 2014, floods and landslides have killed three people in West Sumatra Province and affected a number of villages in the districts of Pesaman, Sijunjung, Padang city, Solok, Pesisir Selatan, and South Solok.

         On Nov 21, two children were killed in a landslide that hit Jorong Ranah Pinago village, Sijunjung. The landslide was triggered by incessant heavy rains that started on Nov. 20, 2014.

         Last week, on Nov. 13, a flash flood struck Koto Kaciak Village in Pasaman District, killing a local resident.

         The flash flood also damaged 30 houses, a mosque, a 12-meter-long road as well as a car and a rice mill machine in the village, BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement recently.

         In Pasaman, floods forced 300 families to take refuge in temporary shelters.

         The Pasaman disaster mitigation office (BPBD) with the assistance of the Indonesian Military (TNI), onesian Police (Polri), the social affairs office, and the public works office, deployed personnel for relief efforts in flood-hit areas.

         In Tabiang Banda Gadang village, Padang city, about three hours from Pasaman, a total of 216 people from 41 families were evacuated due to flash floods
    The floodwaters inundating the area reached up to two meters high. The BPBD erected emergency tents and distributed ready-to-eat meals to flood-affected people.

         A landslide triggered by incessant rains hit Pulai Bungkuak Nagari and cut off a road in Jorong Pinti Kayu, South Solok District, on Nov. 19, 2014.

         In the same district, a flood submerged 148 houses in Koto Parik Gadang Diateh and forced 821 people to evacuate to higher grounds.

         The flood was triggered by heavy downpours that saw water level in the Batang Pangean River rising up to three meters.

         Earlier, on October 30, 2014, heavy downpours triggered floods that struck Kubung and Bukit Sundi sub districts in Solok District, Head of the Solok Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD) Abdul Manan stated.

         The floodwaters, which rose one to two meters high as the Batang Lembang overflowed, submerged 1,970 houses and forced 2,200 people to seek temporary shelters, he added.

         "Besides affecting Solok District, the floods also hit Solok City," remarked Lieutenant Colonel Sigit Sasono, the chief of the Solok District military command.

         "There are no casualty reports and the material losses are still being evaluated," Sasono added.

         In South Pesisir District, 841 houses located in Silaut sub district, were inundated following incessant rains recently.

     The houses were located in the villages of Sungai Sirah, Sungai Serik, Sungai Pulai, Talang Binjai, Pasir Binjai, and Air Hitam. 
    The floods severely affected 316 families in Air Hitam, 210 families in Sungai Serik, 200 families in Sungai Pulai, 50 families in Pasir Binjai, 43 families in Sungai Sirah, and 22 families in Talang Binjai.

         The BPBD deployed 15 personnel in the disaster-hit zone and distributed ready-to-eat meals to flood victims.

         In North Sumatra province, incessant rains caused floods that inundated hundreds of houses in two sub districts in Binjai Town, North Sumatra, in late October 2014.

         "Floods hit two sub districts in Binjai town," Ipul, a local resident, said.

         The floods started at 3 a.m. local time and submerged residential areas located along the Bangkatan river in Binjai Town sub district and South Binjai sub district.

         Floodwaters reached up to one and two meters high, forcing a number of local inhabitants to take refuge to safer places.

         In Riau Province, floods inundated 1,942 hectares of rice fields and killed a number of cattle in Kuantan Singingi district recently.

         Material losses amounted to billions of rupiah, the Head of the Kuantan Singingi Horticulture Office, Maisir, said.

         At least 155 hectares of rice fields were submerged in floodwaters in Kuantan Mudik sub district, besides 942 hectares in Gunung Toar, 492.5 hectares in Central Kuantan, and 355 hectares in Sentajo Raya.

         In Bengkulu province, flash floods inflicted material losses to the tune of more than Rp15 billion in Mukomuko District, Head of the Mukomuko disaster mitigation office (BPBD) Ramdani said on Nov. 21, 2014.

         A total of 744 houses and some schools and bridges in 10 villages in the district were flooded as the Selagan and Manjuto rivers overflowed their banks.

         In West Java, the Citarum River spilled its bank and inundated thousands of houses in Baleendah, Rancaekek, and Dayeuhkolot sub districts, Bandung District, on Nov. 20, 2014.

         The Banjaran-Baleendah-Bandung roads were submerged in 70-cm-deep floodwaters.

         The local authorities and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) have prepared temporary shelters for the flood victims.

         Bekasi District was also affected by floods that inundated residential areas located along the Bekasi River, on Nov. 19, 2014.

         The flood-affected residential areas included Pondok Mitra Lestari and Pondok Gede Permai housing complexes in Jatiasih Sub-district, Bekasi City, Tio, a local resident, stated on Thursday morning.

         Pondok Gede Permai was the worst hit as a dam there burst due to flooding, Kartono, another resident, noted.

         Jakarta, the capital city, also could not escape the floods, as Kampung Pulo, Bidara Cina, and Cawang in East Jakarta, as well as Pengadegan, Pancoran, and Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta, have been affected by floods since Nov. 19.

         The Jakarta BPBD reported that some 16,423 people belonging to 4,498 families have been affected by the floods.

         Public kitchens have been set up to provide food to flood victims.

         The floods were triggered by the Ciliwung River overflowing its banks after incessant heavy rains lashed Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 19).  
    In anticipation of floods and landslides across the country in the current rainy season, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has instructed its fast-reaction task forces to be on high alert and be ready to handle disasters.

         "The BNPB head, Syamsul Maarif, issued the instruction to put its fast-reaction task forces on high alert. We have deployed them in several regions and in the capital city of Jakarta," BNPB's Head of Public Relations, Information and Data Center, Sutopo Purwo Nogroho, said recently.

         The agency has also made sure that logistics are adequate for flood victims and airplanes are ready for necessary evacuation any time. ***3***
(f001/INE/B003)
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