Central Lombok Regent Blames Villa Development for Triggering Mandalika Floods

The Regent of Central Lombok, Lalu Pathul Bahri, has blamed the proliferation of villa development on hillsides for triggering flooding in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kuta Village, Pujut Subdistrict, on Tuesday, 24 February 2026.

Based on preliminary analysis, Pathul identified the primary cause of flooding in the Mandalika SEZ, particularly in Kuta Village, as sedimentation and siltation resulting from soil erosion from the hillsides. As a result, water overflowed because drainage systems could not accommodate the volume.

“That sedimentation was the trigger yesterday. We responded immediately. We asked people with heavy equipment to come down straightaway,” Pathul said when met by media representatives in Praya on Friday, 27 February 2026.

The Central Lombok District Government is cataloguing building owners currently constructing structures on the hillsides of the Mandalika SEZ. According to Pathul, almost all these buildings lack permits from the regional authorities.

“Those hills are community land, we don’t know who they’ve sold them to or when. These foreign investors didn’t even ask for permission. That’s why we want to summon them,” Pathul added.

Pathul has instructed the Chief of Staff of the Central Lombok Regent to document building owners on the Mandalika SEZ hillsides. He expressed frustration that they ignored warning letters previously sent by the regional government.

Additionally, Pathul acknowledged that the situation stems from rapid investment growth in Central Lombok. However, he stated he does not want to be caught off guard to prevent prolonged disasters.

Beyond negligence, Pathul also attributed the flooding to extremely high rainfall sustained over six consecutive days. According to the Central Lombok District Government’s data, over 1,500 people were affected, with many residents forced to evacuate and seek shelter.

Nevertheless, Pathul reported deploying officers organised into a task force to assist communities in addressing the flooding. “We’ve mobilised all available resources to accelerate flood response,” he explained.

“Many trees fell at that time, but they were cleared by our officers on the spot,” Pathul added.