Agency warns of imminent landslides
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) is warning government officials and the public about the possibility of floods and landslides that could hit several areas in the country during the upcoming rainy season.
In almost all parts of the country, the rainfall level will begin to increase in December, and reach a peak in January or February 2002.
"Floods are obviously much more likely during periods of increased rainfall," Waan Tarmin, a spokesman from the BMG, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Some of the areas that are prone to flooding include the western regions of North Sumatra district, some parts of West Sumatra, most areas of West Kalimantan, the northern coastal region of Central Java, in addition to South Sulawesi and the southern regions of Irian Jaya, according to the latest data compiled by the BMG.
Banda Aceh, Lhokseumawe, Rengat and Kerinci on Sumatra; Banyuwangi, Bandung and Jatiwangi on Java; most of the northern central regions of Sulawesi; the central region and Galela district on Maluku; and Merauke in Irian Jaya are also high on the list of areas that the BMG will be watching closely.
They are predicting between 2,000 mm and 3,000 mm of rainfall in those areas just during the few months of the rainy season, as compared to the normal level of between 1,000 and 2,000 mm.
However, in some other parts of the country, the rainfall level will be below 1,000 mm, according to their data.
In most parts of the country the rainy season is normally from October or November until March or May. However, in some areas it started last month while in some others, it will not begin until December.
The rainy season has already officially arrived in Pandeglang, Lebak and North Sukabumi in West Java; some southern parts of Cilacap in Central Java as well as parts of Aceh, North Sumatra and Jambi.
Some parts of the northern coast of Java, Madura, Sumba, and Flores, as well as the eastern region of South Sulawesi, the western side of Southeast Maluku and Merauke are expecting their rains to begin in December.
Localized rain is only one factor that can cause flooding, according to Tarmin, other factors include heavy rain in upper sections of rivers flowing to an area, as well as the tides and sea level in coastal regions and of course the condition of the drainage system in a particular area or town.
In plain coastal areas, flooding is expected to worsen during full moon when tides are high. In this rest of the year, full moons occur on Oct. 31, Nov. 30 and Dec. 29.
Therefore, flooding might occur in one area even when the rainfall level is low in the flooded area, he said.
Tarmin blamed the development of housing and buildings and the reduction of rain catchment areas, in addition to the poor maintenance of drainage systems. Many drains are simply not able to accommodate the rainfall since the catchment capacity was decreased or they are damaged or blocked up with waste, he said.
"People here use drains and rivers as waste dumping sites. They don't seem to realize the consequences," he said.
Tarmin also said that high tides can also contribute to flooding. He pointed to Jl. Gunung Sahari in North Jakarta as an example of an area prone to floods when the tide is high.
"Floods occur occasionally there even in the dry season," he said.