Bekasi villages face flooding

JAKARTA (JP): Fears are mounting that at least five villages along the Muaragembong coast in Bekasi regency will be heavily inundated during the upcoming rainy season, which is expected to see heavier rainfall than average due to the La Nina phenomenon.

Regency spokesman Koko Safrudin said on Saturday the flood- prone villages were Pantai Harapan with a population of 5,005; Pantai Mekar, 4,793; Pantai Sederhana, 3,103: Pantai Bakti, 5,130; and Pantai Bahagia, 4,807.

"We are ready to evacuate the 22,000 residents of the five villages so as to avoid any casualties during the flooding. We have prepared equipment and alerted flood control personnel," Koko aid after the conclusion of a meeting of the regency's coordinating team for natural disaster assistance.

Koko was quoted by Antara as saying that the regency had also prepared temporary shelters, including several elementary school buildings and subdistrict offices, to accommodate those hit by flooding.

He said the floods would be caused by the nearby Citarum and Ciherang rivers overflowing.

"The rivers often engulf nearby areas even during small rains. It will probably be worse with the La Nina phenomenon," Koko said.

The management of the Jatiluhur Dam Authority, which controls the water flow in rivers in West Java, has also prepared monitoring posts and teams in several flood-prone areas in north coastal areas, including Bekasi, an official said.

"We've also prepared thousands of sand-filled plastic sacks for building emergency dikes," the official, who asked not to be named, said.

He added that the upcoming rainy season along the northern coastal areas was currently expected to reach its peak in the period between the middle of next month and the middle of December.

Some areas in the northern parts of Karawang, Subang and Indramayu are also highly flood-prone. (jun)