Flooding in Demak Surrounds 5 Villages, 2 Embankments Still Under Repair
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has revealed that five villages in Sayung District, Demak Regency, Central Java, remain surrounded by flooding with water levels ranging from 10 to 50 centimetres. The flooding began on Monday, 16 February in the early morning hours.
“This situation is influenced by the region’s topographical characteristics, which form a depression, as well as high tidal surge, which means water drainage into the Dombo River is not optimal and continues to inundate residential areas and road access,” said Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB’s Centre for Disaster Data, Information and Communication, citing Antara news agency on Sunday, 1 March.
High water discharge hampers embankment repairs
The BNPB has acknowledged that high water discharge resulting from heavy rainfall and tidal surge presents a challenge in accelerating repairs to the collapsed embankments in Demak. “There are two embankments damaged by the impact of flooding sometime ago and are currently undergoing repair work, including the Cabean River embankment and the Tuntang River embankment in Demak,” the agency stated.
The BNPB confirmed that closure work on the Cabean River embankment has reached approximately 70 per cent at the left-side location and 80 per cent at the right-side location, with strengthening work still in progress. The agency explained that repair efforts on the Tuntang River embankment at several locations remain delayed because water discharge is still high, although some sections have successfully been closed and strengthened.
“Ongoing response efforts include embankment strengthening, secondary channel normalisation, installation of debris containment netting at Gajah Siphon, and channel cleaning using heavy equipment. All activities are coordinated through the Emergency Flood Disaster Response Command Post in order to accelerate recovery in the affected areas,” Muhari stated.
Muhari explained that incomplete embankment repairs and ongoing weather conditions characterised by frequent heavy rainfall of prolonged duration have resulted in several areas in Demak remaining waterlogged to date. He urged the public to remain vigilant, follow the direction of local government authorities, and promptly report disaster incidents through official channels so that responses can be executed swiftly and accurately.