Central Java on High Alert for Flooding, Cold Lava Flows

Jakarta Globe, Ari Susanto, January 21, 2014

Smoke rises from Mount Merapi on Dec. 15. (JG Photo/Boy T. Harjanto)

Yogyakarta. The Central Java Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency is on alert for a possible overflow of the Bengawan Solo River and a flood of cold lava from the Mt. Merapi volcano that could be triggered by heavy rain in the province.

“The brief rains yesterday at the peak of Mt. Merapi has drowned four sand miners, while water levels of the Bengawan Solo River are still under control,” the agency’s head Sarwa Pramana said in Semarang on Sunday.

The sand miners ignored the warnings issued by the Kepuharjo village head a month ago to stay away from the mountain slope.

The village head Heri Suprapto said the local administration had prohibited sand mining activities in the river since a month ago. He added that several areas such as the Sukoharjo, Karanganyar, Klaten, and Cepu districts would be inundated by floods if the Bengawan Solo River burst its banks.

The Kaliadem neighborhood was nearly covered in volcanic material after the 2010 eruption, which attracts many sand traders from Yogyakarta and Central Java regions.

Sarwa said factors that would cause the river to burst its banks, aside from heavy rain, is poor management of water levels at the Wonogiri Dam.

“If one of the water gates at the dam is opened, it would impact areas along the course of the Bengawan Solo River,” he said.

Sarwa said the disaster mitigation agency has asked all parties to anticipate the four-year flood cycle.

“Hopefully an eruptions like the one in 2010 will not happen again, but to anticipate it, we have drafted a contingency plan by preparing volunteers, meeting points for evacuees, evacuation locations and referral hospitals,” Sarwa said.

Herizal, head of the Semarang Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, meanwhile forecasted heavy rain for the province until the beginning of February.

This picture taken on January 15, 2014 shows Indonesian

 search and rescue members helping residents after a flood

 hit Manado, the capital city of the North Sulawesi province of

Indonesia. (AFP Photo)

Related Articles:

Manado Flood Death Toll Reaches 18, With 80,000 Displaced
Social Ministry Pledges Rp 5b to Manado Flood Victims
Death Toll Climbs to 16 as Manado Floods Leave Tens of Thousands Displaced

At Least 7 Dead as Jakarta Flooding Continues
Jakarta on Official Alert as Flood Misery Returns

Myanmar bans mining near major rivers for environment reason

Antara News, Fri, March 30 2012

Yangon (ANTARA News/Xinhua-OANA) - Myanmar has banned mining of mineral resources along the country`s four major river courses or near these river banks in a bid to preserve natural environment, according to an order of the Ministry of Mines made public Thursday.

The four rivers are Ayeyawaddy, Thanlwin, Chindwin and Sittoung.

Exploration and production of minerals including gems and jewelry along the river courses or closer than 90 meters to the river banks is prohibited, the order said.

The order added that the measure is aimed at emergence of clean environment of the four rivers to enable smooth flow of river water and facilitate water transport and tourism.

Editor: Ella Syafputri

Deadly flood kills a villager

Antara News, Mon, March 28 2011

Related News

• Floods inundate three villages in E Java
• One-hundred flood victims in C Sulawesi still in shelters

Ciamis, W Java (ANTARA News) - The body of a resident who was carried by the strong water currents in Padamulya village, West Java province, was finally found on Monday afternoon.

Ikin (70) was found with so many injuries on his body, Head of Ciamis natural disaster mitigation office Odang Ruhiyat Widjaja said here Monday evening.

He said the injuries might have been caused by stones and wood logs hitting the victim`s body when carried by the currents.

Ikin`s body had been evacuated to a local health center, he said.

The muddy flooding did not only claim a the life of a person, but also threatened the those of at least 100 families.

According to Head of the Ciamis district`s volunteers for natural disaster response division, Ade Deni, due to their great fear of another flooding and landslide, more than 100 families planned to take refuge to higher grounds.

"The number of these families may continue to rise," he said, adding that the rescue workers had prepared two emergency tents for about 70 refugees.

Ade Deni said the displaced people did not only go the emergency tents but also to the Cihaurbeuti subdistrict office and the houses of their neighbors and relatives.

The local government was expected to transport humanitarian aid packages to the displaced people, he said.

The muddy floods inundated several hundreds of houses in the village after torrential rain in the area triggered a landslide on Monday at 3 PM local time.

The landslide materials fell into the village river and caused overflowing, he said.

Over the past year, Indonesia has been undergoing an extreme weather phenomenon, which was partly characterized with heavy rains and whirlwinds.

As the consequence of the torrential rains and whirlwinds, various vulnerable parts of the country have experienced flash floods and landslides.

Floods had also inundated around 6,761 houses in five sub-districts of Pandeglang district, Banten province, since Sunday evening.

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Related Article:

Thousands Evacuated in Aceh Floods

Over 1,000 houses along code river flooded

Antara News, Sun, March 20 2011

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - A flood triggered by heavy rains inundated at least 1,190 houses along Code riverbank in Yogyakarta on Saturday evening.

"The number of flooded houses along the Code riverbank is based on the result of a survey made shortly after the flood receded," Chief of the Secretariat of the Yogyakarta City Natural Disaster Mitigation Office (BKPBD) Sudarsono said on Sunday.

The flood affected a total of 4,369 people who lived in 14 villages in eight subdistricts, he said.

Many residents evacuated to safer areas when the river began to overflow. However, some of them had returned home by Sunday morning to rid their houses of mud left by the flood, he said.

In the worst-hit areas the flood water level reached up to 150 cm, he said.

To meet evacuees` needs the local authorities had prepared logistics including rice and instant noodle enough for three days, he said.

"We are also preparing a public health service unit to help evacuees who have health problems," he said.

The flood caused sand sediment at the river to increase by 5-10 cm.

Sudarsono said all residents living along riverbanks in the city should be on the alert when heavy rains fell on their areas.

"The public should keep abreast of developments to avoid unexpected things," he said.

Editor: Ruslan Burhani

Flash Floods Kill 10 in Kalimantan; Bekasi Deluged

Jakarta Globe, September 12, 2010

Jakarta. Flash floods in central Indonesia have killed 10 people and left 14 others missing.

Local media reports say the flooding occurred on Saturday morning on the swollen banks of the Kinarum River, a popular tourist spot on Borneo island.

Many of the victims were children swimming as part of celebrations marking the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.

MetroTV said 10 bodies had been pulled from the water. The news portal Detik.com said a search was under way for 14 missing people.

Landslides and flooding triggered by torrential downpours kill dozens of people every year in the vast tropical archipelago of Indonesia, which has more than 17,000 islands.

States news agency Antara, meanwhile, reported that thousands of houses in Muara Gembong subdistrict, Bekasi district, West Java, were flooded after the Citarum river burst its banks.

“The water level varied from 40 centimeters to 80 centimeters at the villages of Bahagia, Pantai Mekar, Jaya Sakti, and Sederhana,” Muara Gembong subdistrict head Herman Susilo said on Saturday night. The flooding began at around 04.00 p.m.

He said the local authorities had been coordinating with other relevant parties to distribute assistance in the form of instant noodles, rice and drinking water in case of larger floods.

AFP/Antara

Related Article:

Thousands of houses flooded

East Nusa Tenggara Mud Eruptions Contaminate River

Tempo Interactive, Friday, 27 August, 2010 | 18:36 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The mud eruptions in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara that started last June in Sulamu Subdistrict have now contaminated one of the main source of clean water in the region, the Noekiboko River.

Cold mud from the eruption according to head of of Sulamu Subdictrict Scering Dano had swamped into the river, the only source of drink water and irrigation water for Sulamu residents.

Eruptions from eight points in Sulamu Scering said have formed at least two mudlakes about 4 - 6 meters deep, which residents feared would expand and swamped their homes. Some cattle according to Screing have been drowned in the mudlakes.

There were pereviously seven eruption points located in an elevated area within Pantai Beringin Village, which recently became eight as the newest point of eruption emerged on a transregional road connecting the area with Oecusse District. which now disrupting traffic at the particular section.

In July geologists from the State Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center have inspected the area and brought samples of mud to their main lab in Bandung no official report came from the lab to date.

YOHANES SEO

Hidden danger

The Jakarta Post, Purbalingga, Central Java | Mon, 08/23/2010 2:25 PM

A numher of sand miners in Klawing river, Purbalingga, Central Java quarry sand on Monday in the river despite the local government ban. Their activities pose a danger to a nearby bridge linking several cities in the province.(JP/Agus Maryono)

Related Article:

Landslide in Italy

Environment Watch: Villagers want legal protection for forest

The Jakarta Post, Jon Afrizal, Jambi | Fri, 05/07/2010 10:14 AM

People from Marga Bukit Bulan in Jambi are seeking legal guarantees in the form of a regional law to protect their forest as the source of their livelihood.

The Marga Bukit Bulan community is made up of residents in five villages in Limun district, Sarolangun regency: Lubuk Bedorong, Mersip, Napal Melintang, Berkun and Meribung.

The valley area is dominated by hills and intact tracts of forest that serve as water catchment areas.

Because the forest is indispensable for residents, it is classified a traditional forest. There are 12 tracts of traditional forest encompassing the five villages with a total area of 1,488 hectares.

Villagers use water from the forest for daily household needs and to irrigate rice fields.

The District Development Program (PPK) set up a micro-hydro power station a few years to generate electricity for Napal Melintang villagers using the water from upstream forest areas, which is dammed and redirected to micro-hydro generator turbines to produce 30,000 watts of power.

The power is distributed to residents’ homes, where 110 of the 135 families now have electricity.

Each family is charged Rp 5,000 (about 50 US cents) per month for every 10-watt lamp. The money generated is used for public works, such as repairing the mosque.

Village head Yanto praised the electricity generation project, saying it “freed the villagers from darkness”.

“We are optimizing the use of water in our daily lives,” he said.

Villagers also use the rivers to breed fish.

The larvae are kept in a deep pool in a stream at Lubuk Bedorong village. Sarolangun regency administration says 10,000 larvae could yield hundreds of kilograms of fish twice a year.

With the Marga Bukit Bulan community becoming increasingly dependent on the forest, community development specialist Dendi Satria Buana sees the need for legal guarantee to protect the forest.

The status of the traditional forest has only been recognized through a village decree, which Dendi claims is not enough.

“We must push for the establishment of a legal framework to protect the traditional forest,” he said, adding the forest served a hydrological function by providing clean water that could be used by the community. With clear legal protection, the water source will be preserved and the forest will remain intact and pristine, he said.

Sarolangun Regent Hasan Basri Agus said his concern for the villagers’ welfare led him to push for a regency bylaw pending the issuance of a provincial ordinance on traditional forests.

Water from the upstream areas is dammed and redirected to micro-hydro generator turbines to produce 30,000 watts of power.

Hundreds of houses in n Maluku submerged

Antara News, Wednesday, April 21, 2010 01:22 WIB

Ternate, N Maluku (ANTARA News) - Several hundred houses in North Maluku have been inundated over the past week after torrential rains showered some sub-districts in the province.

Among the flooded sub-districts were South Jailolo, West Halmahera district, and Oba in Tidore Kepulauan district.

According to North Maluku province`s natural disaster management agency here Tuesday, several hundred houses in three villages of South Jailolo sub-district were submerged.

The flood was caused by the overflowing of South Jailolo rivers following the heavy rainfall over the past week. As a result, tens of local residents` houses were reportedly damaged.

In helping the flood victims in South Jailolo sub-district, Head of West Halmahera district`s social welfare office, Kurnia Duwila, said his men had distributed food and kitchen utensils among the flood victims.

The flood also inundated tens of local residents` houses and farms in Oba sub-district, Tidore Kepulauan district.

The one-meter-high flood also damaged residents` fish ponds.

The torrential rains showering various parts of Tidore Kepulauan district over the past week had also triggered landslides but there were no fatalities in the natural disaster.

The North Maluku meteorology and geophysics office had warned local residents of the high intensity of rains in the province between April and May.

A local environmentalist, Djafar, said the floods that inundated several hundred houses in North Maluku should be warning to the government about the degraded environmental condition and deforestation.

Therefore, the local government needed immediately to plant trees and take firm action against illegal loggers in North Maluku, he said.

Nowhere to go

The Jakarta Post, Thu, 03/25/2010 6:55 PM

Nowhere to go: An aerial view of an inundated residential site in Karawang, West Java, from floodwater on Thursday. Heavy rain over the past few days caused Citarum River to overflow, severely inundating most areas in Karawang. Poor forest conversion in area encompassed by a river in the regency also contributed to floods. Antara/Saptono

Related Article:

Indonesia Declares Karawang Floods ‘Not National Disaster’

Floods in Karawang not yet recedes

Helping hand: Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring shakes hand with a resident during a visit to flood-hit Telukjambe subdistrict in Karawang. Tifatul handed over humanitarian assistance to the flood victims Saturday. – Antara/ M.Ali Khumaini|

Repeated flooding hits 887 hectares of Karawang rice fields

Antara News, Wednesday, March 24, 2010 17:24 WIB

Karawang, West Java (ANTARA News) - Some 837 hectares of rice fields in Karawang District, West Java , have been submerged by flood waters since last Thursday (March 18) because of repeated overflows of the Citarum River.

"The inundated rice fields are located in eight sub districts, and the worst-affected farming areas are in Ciampel and Klari sub districts," Nachrowi M Nur, head of the Karawang agricultural and forestry office, said here on Wednesday.

The floods caused great material losses to local farmers, he said.

The affected sub districts are Telukjambe Timur, Telukjambe Barat, Karawang Barat, Karawang Timur, Ciampel, Klari, Batujaya, and Pakisjaya.

The floods also invaded over 9,500 houses in Karawang District.

Meanwhile, floods inundated around 7,000 houses in the subdistricts of Baleendah, Dayeuhkolot and Bojongsoang, Bandung district, also in West Java Province, following the overflowing of the Citarum river on Tuesday.

Rice fields in Solokanjeruk and Rancaekek subdistricts, Bandung district, were also deluged.

The flood waters in general were actually beginning to subside but they still stood high in Dayeuhkolot and Baleendah subdistricts, said Mudjiadi, a Bandung district administration official.

Most of the affected residents had abandoned their homes and evacuated to higher ground because of the floods which had been hitting the district over the past four days.

Local authorities have also set up public kitchens and distributed food, medicines, blankets and clothes to flood victims.

Flooding worsens in Bekasi

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 03/23/2010 6:07 PM

Flooding that hit residential area along Citarum River banks in Bekasi regency, West Java, worsened Monday night due to damage at the river dam at Muara Gembong subdistrict.

Muara Gembong subdistrict head Herman Susilo said that around 4,698 houses were inundated by the overflow, up from 3,000 houses previously.

“The waterlevel inside each home has reached between 40 and 120 centimeters,” Herman told tempointeraktif.com on Tuesday.

Floods submerge 2,674 buildings in Sarolangun

Antara News, Tuesday, March 23, 2010 14:50 WIB

Jambi (ANTARA News) - Floods inundated 2,674 buildings in Sarolangun district, Jambi Province, Sumatra Island, as the Batanghari River overflowed on Tuesday.

Houses, school buildings and mosques were flooded, said Aslami MZ of the Jambi administration, here on Tuesday. The flood also affected hundreds of hectares of rice fields and plantations, he said.Flood waters submerged houses at a height of up to 150 cm.

Floods triggered by incessant heavy rains, caused the Batanghari River`s tributaries, namely Batang Asai, Batang Limun, Batang Merangin, Batang Tembesi, and Batang Air Hitam to overflow since last Thursday (March 18) at a height of up to two meters.

At least 23 villages in six sub districts have been affected by the floods. The sub districts are Pauh, Mandiangin, Limun and Sarolangun town.

The worst-affected villages were Muaro Tempalo in Limun sub district and Mandiangin sub district, he said.At least 500 families have been evacuated to higher grounds.

The local authorities have set up emergency tents and distributed relief aid such as rice, instant noddles, blankets, baby food to flood victims.The natural disaster is estimated to have caused material losses of billions of rupiahs.

Floods inundate 7,000 houses in Bandung district

Antara News, Tuesday, March 23, 2010 14:46 WIB

Bandung (ANTARA News) - Floods inundated around 7,000 houses in the subdistricts of Baleendah, Dayeuhkolot and Bojongsoang, Bandung district, following the overflowing of the Citarum river on Tuesday.

Rice fields in Solokanjeruk and Rancaekek subdistricts, Bandung district, were also submerged by flood waters.

The flood waters in general were actually beginning to subside but they still stood high in Dayeuhkolot and Baleendah subdistricts, said Mudjiadi, a Bandung district administration official.

Most of the affected residents had abandoned their homes and evacuated to higher ground because of the floods which had been hitting the district over the past four days.

Local authorities have also set up public kitchens and distributed food, medicines, blankets and clothes to flood victims.

Morowali floods getting worse

Antara News, Tuesday, March 23, 2010 14:45 WIB

Palu (ANTARA News) - Floods which have been inundating nine villages in Petasi subdistrict, Morowali District, Central Sulawesi, since Sunday, got worse on Tuesday.

"Currently the floodwaters reach a height of up to two meters and more houses are inundated," Dariyos Kaope, secretary to the Petasia sub district head, said here on Monday.

The worst-affected villages are Tras Togo Mulya, Togo,Maliono, and Sampolowo. The other five villages are Onepute, Koromatantu, Mandowe, Bunta, and Tompira.

The floods got worse following incessant heavy rains which caused the Lau River to overflow.

"Activities at Togo elementary school have been halted since two days ago due to the flooding," he said.

Local authorities have set up emergency tents and distributed relief aid such as food and medicines to flood victims.

Filthy Ciliwung gets one-day cleanup, fish added

Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 03/21/2010 4:21 PM

In recognition of World Water Day, which falls on March 22, groups of residents gathered Saturday in an effort to help clean the heavily polluted Ciliwung, one of the largest rivers in Jakarta.

Participants - stationed on its banks and in boats that traveled along the Ciliwung between Balekambang subdistrict in East Jakarta to Rawajati subdistrict in South Jakarta - collected piles of garbage, mostly plastic.

"How can we clean this river? It could take years," one participant said while looking desperately at the mess.

While traveling in the dinghies, participants noted the massive amount of plastic bags, diapers and assorted trash in the water, as if they were racing with the boats.

Another resident, Umar Fauzi, who took part in the cleanup said the program was a waste of money because hardly made a dent on garbage filling the heavily polluted river.

As part of the event, participants planted trees and released fish at several locations along the river.

In Rawajati a stage and several booths had been set up with an exhibition featuring recycled products and sponsor companies' displays.

The event was attended by Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, Deputy Jakarta Governor for Industry, Trade and Transportation Sutanto Suhodo and representatives from the Environment Ministry.

"I hope this event teaches Jakartans not to pollute rivers," Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) chief Peni Susanti said.

If people in Jakarta cared about water and preserving their environment, water quality in Jakarta could be improved, she said.

However, when asked what programs her agency was running to keep the Ciliwung clean and to prevent residents from throwing garbage into the river, Peni could not provide clear details, saying only she expected residents to monitor and remind one another not to throw their garbage into the river.

"We only assist the community and teach them how to make things from garbage, and educate children, preparing them to become water ambassadors," she said.

All communities involved could continue to collect garbage from the river and preserve the trees they had planted, Peni said.

However, despite its aims, the event itself also added to garbage pollution around the Ciliwung with straws from soft drinks and meal containers provided spilling over from trash cans and nobody attempting to clean them up.

Finding a cure for Indonesia's sick river

CNN, by Anna Coren, March 21, 2010

Collecting rubbish on the banks of the Citarum river outside the village of Sakamaju, on the outskirts of Bandung, Indonesia. It is one of the world's most polluted waterways.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Citarum River in Indonesia supplies around 30 million people with water
• Extreme pollution means many who live in villages along its banks often fall ill
• Poor sanitation compounds the problems for health of people and environment
• Asian Development Bank spending $500 million on river clean-up project

Bandung, Indonesia (CNN) -- The small village of Sukamaju on the outskirts of Bandung, West Java is nestled within mountains and rice plantations. To the naked eye, the scenery looks beautiful but on closer inspection, this ecosystem is supported by a water source that is sick and heavily polluted.

We've arrived to cover a story on the Citarum River, considered one of the most polluted rivers in Indonesia, if not the world. Around 30 million people rely on this water basin and it provides 80 percent of Jakarta's drinking water.

While this water is obviously treated for consumption in the larger town and big cities, in Sukamaju what's in the river is pumped directly to the community. The only filtration available is a towel or sock wrapped around a waterspout. The villagers use this water everyday to bathe, wash and cook.

But for drinking, they will boil it. Health experts tell us, this process will kill the bacteria but it certainly won't get rid of the heavy metals and toxic chemicals.

Near the village there are dozens of textile factories -- the main source of employment for many of the local people. They're also one of the biggest polluters of the Citarum River, spewing industrial waste directly into the waterways.

At one spot outside a plant, the water is black with pollution. Children play in it; crops are grown beside it.

A little further upstream, 10 meters before the water turns black, we meet a man who is washing plastic bags he will then sell. He says he does it here because of the strong chemicals in the water -- it helps him do his job more effectively.

We meet Nyai, a 60-year-old great grandmother who has a persistent skin infection. She has welts, lumps and dark markings all over her torso. Her daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren all suffer the same condition, including 4-year-old Wildan.

4-year-old Wildan has spots covering his face and neck his family believe are from the polluted waters of the river.

I ask him to show me where it's itchy and he points to the spots covering his face and neck. Nyai says this skin condition only became a problem for her village after the textile factories set up in the 1980s.

Asked if she's angry about the water situation Nyai replies: "We have no choice, this is the only water we have. Everyone in this village only has this water source. If it's raining then our wells will get fresh water but if it's dry season, everyone must use this water."

Water, black from chemical pollution, runs down na channel outside a textile plant. Dozen of textile factories line the banks of the river by Sakumaju and toward the city of Bandung.

But it's not just the factories, using the Citarum as a dumping ground; the community effectively use it as an open sewer. As we walk through the village, children squat over canals and defecate directly into the water. Any garbage is thrown in the waterway or dumped on the side of the riverbank.

Re-educating local communities on how to look after the Citarum is one of the main projects for the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It's investing $500 million dollars over the next 15 years to try and save the Citarum and the communities who rely on it.

The ADB will work closely with Indonesian government to rehabilitate the entire river basin, addressing the issues of pollution, sanitation, and environmental problems like deforestation, siltation and flooding. Tom Panella from the ADB is fully aware of the enormous task in front of him and his team, but he remains hopeful .

"The Citarum is very sick and needs everybody to help bring it back to a state of health so all communities reliant on it can have a good quality of life and sustainable livelihoods," he says. "It's not dead but it needs a tremendous amount of work from all of us."

Two scavengers search for plastic garbage in Citarum River, Baleendah in Bandung on Sunday. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has declared the 270 kilometer river as the world’s most polluted river. (Antara/Rezza Estily)

Related Articles:

Our beloved rivers of waste

Key river suffers upstream, downstream pollution

More articles related to rivers...

RI oil palm farmers ready to boycott Nestle products

Floods inundate thousands of houses in Banten

Antara News, Wednesday, November 25, 2009 17:57 WIB

Lebak (ANTARA News) - Floods have inundated thousands of houses and rice fields with the water reaching a height of up to two meters in two sub districts, Lebak District, Banten Province.

There were no reports of casualties in the disaster so far, said Alkadri, a spokesman of the Lebak District administration, here on Wednesday.

The floods affected seven villages at Wanasalam sub district and nine villages at Banjarsari sub district, he said.

Incessant heavy rains which had fallen since Tuesday evening, triggered local rivers to overflow, he said.

Local authorities were making efforts to evacuate flood victims and to distribute relief aid, especially food and medicines, he said.

"These two sub districts are prone to floods when rains fall," he said.

Cikeusik River overflew and flooded villages, Banjarsari Sub District Head Pardi, said.

Last Saturday (Nov. 21), hundreds of houses and rice fields were inundated as the Ciliman, Cilemer, and Cisanggoma rivers in Pendeglang District, Banten, overflowed.

The floods put eight villages under 70-cm-to-100-cm of water, Patia Sub District Head Maman, said on Saturday.

The sub district is located between the Ciliman and Cilemer rivers and prone to floods, he said.

At least 720 houses and hectares or rice fields were inundated, he said.

On Sumatra Island, floods triggered by incessant heavy rains over the past two days, also inundated a number of villages in Julok sub district, East Aceh, on Saturday (Nov. 21).

Tens of houses had been invaded by the floodwaters since the wee hours of Saturday, according to Tgk Safri Akbari, a local resident of Julok sub district.

Among villages affected by the floods were Medeung Ara, Julok, Blang Mideuen and Blang Jambe.

Hectares of rice fields were also inundated in East Aceh District which has a population of 4.6 million and experiences annual flooding. Indonesia is currently entering rainy season.

Scientists Turn to Native Plants to Save Indonesia's Rivers

The Jakarta Globe, Fidelis E. Satriastanti

Indonesia's rivers are under stress from pollution, garbage and erosion. (Photo: Bagus Indahono, EPA)

With most river basins in the country suffering from severe degradation, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences is trying out a new rehabilitation approach involving replanting species endemic to areas near the water.

Didik Widyatmoko, the head of research at the institute, also known as LIPI, said they had so far planted 5,500 seeds on two locations — a public area and a protected, private one.

More than six hectares of public land in Girimukti, West Java — an upstream area of the Citarum River — have been planted with about 3,100 seeds comprising 33 species, including avocado, rambutan, durian, mango and orange. The project also aims to help provide a source of livelihood for residents in the area, who can harvest and sell the fruit.

Meanwhile, on four hectares of protected land in Bodogol, in West Java’s Gede Pangrango National Park, upstream of the Cisadane River, 2,400 seeds from eight species endemic to the area have been planted to restore the land to its natural habitat.

“Planting is important, but the aim of the project is for research,” Didik said. “On one hand, it is for conservation, on the other it could be used for economic purposes.”

Didik said the Rp 250 million ($26,000) project would be monitored every three months over the next five years to determine the plants’ growth and survival rates.

“We’re predicting that most of the plants will mature after five years and we’re hoping the ecosystem will have been restored by that time,” he said.

Sumarto Suharno, head of the Gede Pangrango National Park, said there were about 7,655 more hectares that needed to be restored in the area.

“So, that’s our biggest challenge now. This land used to be productive, with more than 5,000 families living here,” Sumarto said. “We’ve also been doing land rehabilitation with the help of other stakeholders. We hope the LIPI model can work perfectly.”

Endang Sukara, deputy chairman for life sciences at LIPI, said the researchers hoped to develop a model to help residents restore and rehabilitate their own areas.

“If it succeeds, then we’ll need to bring this to a higher level [of bureaucracy] as a recommendation, because the idea for rehabilitation or restoration should be based on scientific research,” Endang said.

Related Article:

Govt to restore 11 rivers to prevent water scarcity and flood

Tangerang Dam Burst Kills at Least 28

The Jakarta Globe, March 27, 2009

A rescuer searches for flood victims. (Dadang Tri, Reuters)

In pictures: Jakarta dam burst (BBC)

Special Section (JG)

More Photos (NYT)

A dam on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, burst on Friday, killing 28 people and flooding hundreds of houses nearby, officials said.

Police said that they were still searching the area for more casualties. Metro TV showed rescuers wading up to their chests in floodwater.

"The break down of Situ Gintung dam has claimed 28 lives, and seven houses were swept away," Chrysnanda Dwilaksana, a spokesman for the Jakarta police, said in a telephone text message.

The dam, which was used to retain water in Lake Situ Gintung in Tangerang District, southwest of Jakarta, broke early on Friday morning. There had been heavy rain in the area but so far the cause of the accident is not known.

"Hundreds of houses are flooded, tens of houses damaged, it was like a small tsunami," said Rustam Pakaya, an official at the health ministry.

Related Articles:

Fifty-six lakes around Jakarta vanished in past five years

'It Sounded Like Thunder, Then All Hell Broke Loose'

Death toll dam burst climbs to 69

22 missing in collapsing dam incident

President instructs reconstruction of Situ Gintung dam

Govt to hand over cash aid for collapsed dam victims

More bodies of dam burst victims found

At least 50 dead in 'mini tsunami' after dam bursts in Jakarta

Tens people missing, 12 killed after dam bursts in Tangerang

A women safe his child from floods in Pondok Pinang, Tangerang, Banten province, Friday (Mar 27). Dike of Gintung reservoir was broken down cause some citizen settlements inundated and 18 peoples death. (ANTARA photo/Paramayuda)

A rescuer searches for flood victims after a dam burst on the
outskirts of Jakarta in Indonesia. (Reuters/Dadang Tri)