Floods continue to spread in Sumatra and Kalimantan

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Floods spread again across the archipelago on Saturday, after heavy rain pounded the area the day before.

Flood hit the industrial island of Batam, Jambi province, and the South Kalimantan capital of Banjarmasin, but no fatalities were reported.

In Batam, heavy rain had fallen in the area since Thursday, which caused flooding in the streets and in some homes.

Water inundated Jl. Simpang Kabil that connects Muka Kuning industrial park with Batam Center, the heart of Batam city, and Hang Nadim Airport.

Flooding was also seen in Jl. Sekupang, which caused a massive traffic jam in the area on Saturday afternoon.

Gom Pasaribu, a local public policy observer, pointed to illegal logging and deforestation as the cause of the flooding.

"Flooding in Batam has worsened from year to year due to deforestation," he said.

In Jambi, heavy rain fell for five hours on Saturday morning, resulted in flooding in low-lying areas in the province.

Water inundated Tanjung Pinang, Pasir Putih, Jeramba Bolong and Sipin Ujung in Jambi municipality.

Mutia, 35, a resident of Jeramba Bolong, said that her area was prone to flooding.

"If rain falls for a few hours, for example, my place will definitely flood," she said, as quoted by Antara news agency.

The similar situation could also be found in Banjarmasin. Water inundated many parts of the city after rain pounded the area on Friday. The flooding subsided on Saturday afternoon, allowing local residents to clean up their homes.

Local residents blamed the poor drainage system in their area as the cause of flooding.

But, residents also admitted that carelessness in disposing of garbage had also contributed to the flooding.

Garbage packed and clogged the drainage canals in the city, causing water to overflow into nearby areas.

The flooding could be seen in Kebun Bunga subdistrict, East Banjarmasin district and Perumus Dalam subdistrict in South Banjarmasin district.