Banjarmasin braces for flood

Banjarmasin braces for flood

BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: Provincial natural disaster
coordinating units here are bracing for floods which are
predicted to come soon as the La Nia wet weather phenomenon
settles in next month.

Head of the provincial natural disaster coordinating unit
(Satkorlak PB) Bachtiar Murad said Saturday the province had
prepared over 10,000 sandbags to anticipate the breaching of
several dams in the area.

"According to predictions we have received, areas to be hit by
flood will be Banjarmasin, Batulicin in Kotabaru regency and the
Banua Lima region," Murad, who is also a deputy governor, said as
quoted by Antara.

He said the provincial administration was also urging
residents to heed calls to keep rivers and waterways clear as
ways to avert flood.

"We are very concerned that many rivers are just becoming too
shallow and shrinking as more and more settlements are being
developed along riversides. It has made us prone to flood," he
said. (aan)