Central Java plans flood control project

Central Java plans flood control project

The Jakarta Post, Cilacap, Central Java

As floods worsened in a number of regencies in the southwest
part of Central Java, the provincial administration planned to
launch a multi-billion rupiah flood control project.

The huge project will include Rp 30 billion (US$3 million) for
dredging the silted-up Segara Anakan estuary off Cilacap and for
the construction of waterways to channel water from the Citanduy
and Cimeneng rivers.

During his visit to Puring district, the hardest-hit by
flooding in Kebumen regency, Minister of Resettlement and
Regional Infrastructure Soenarno revealed on Wednesday that the
government had allocated a total of Rp 70 billion from foreign
aid for various flood control projects in Central Java.

He said the projects would include the dredging of a number of
rivers, such as the Serayu, Bogowonto and Citanduy, as well as
the Segara Anakan delta.

He hoped that the project could start early next year.

Suprihono, chief of the Cilacap regency public works office,
told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that most of the Rp 30 billion
required would come from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Suprihono, who is also a manager for the flood control
project, said that Rp 3 billion of the funds would come from the
regency's budget.

"The project is now being put to tender. We hope that we can
start the project in the middle of next year," he said.

The project, he said, had been planned two years ago "but the
ADB delayed disbursing the funds due to land appropriation
problems."

More than 10,000 houses in at least 21 districts in Cilacap,
Kebumen and Banyumas regencies in the southern part of Central
Java province have been inundated by floodwater over the past
four days due to incessant rain.

More than 6,000 people are now suffering either in temporary
shelters or their inundated homes, amid fear of prolonged
flooding due to continuing heavy rains.

As of Thursday, heavy rain still drenched most parts of the
three regencies. In Cilacap alone, the number of districts
affected by flooding increased to 12, from only five on Tuesday.

The death toll rose to five on Thursday, with the discovery of
two more bodies in two separate villages in Kebumen.

Supriyanto, a junior high school student, was drowned in a
flash flood at Kawunganten village, while 16-year-old Kamio died
after he was buried by a landslide in Argosari village in Ayah
district.

The other victims were Salim, 23, from Jitung village, in
Kebumen, Wartiyem, a woman from a Banyumas village and Matbera
from a Cilacap village.

The Kebumen regency administration decided on Thursday to opt
for a short-term solution by, among other things, repairing the
ruptured banks of six drainage channels and small rivers, and
rebuilding damaged roads and houses.

The administration will provide Rp 7.8 billion from its budget
for these projects.

In Cilacap regency, the floods spread on Thursday to the town
of Cilacap. Almost half the town was submerged.

Aris Riyanto, spokesman for the regency administration, told
the Post that this was the first time the town had been inundated
by floodwater.

More than 500 families residing in the Tegal Tatilayu housing
complex were forced to flee their homes.

Aris also blamed the residents' habit of throwing garbage
arbitrarily into rivers as a factor contributing to the
overflows.

Thousands of villagers taking shelter in local administration
offices and in makeshift tents erected along riverbanks in the
Cilacap and Banyumas regencies are in need of food, clothing,
blankets and medicine. Most of them lost almost all of their
belongings in the floods.

At least 200 of some 2,500 victims in Banyumas started to
suffer itching and had stomach complaints on Thursday.

Local administrations distributed foodstuffs and medicine, but
these were not in sufficient supply.

Meanwhile, flooding was easing in Tasikmalaya district, West
Java. As of Thursday, water continued to submerge two districts
-- as compared with 14 on Wednesday.

Fresh floods also hit Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of
Aceh, following incessant rains since Tuesday that caused water
in the Daroy river to overflow.

The flooding forced hundreds of families in Banda Aceh to
leave their inundated homes for safer locations.