Floods mostly subside, residents still enduring effects

Floods mostly subside, residents still enduring effects

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Although floods had largely subsided in most of parts of
Indonesia on Friday, residents in several other areas here are
still badly affected by the annual deluge.

Floods hit four regencies in Sulawesi island, affecting
hundreds of residents in the areas, Antara news agency reported.

Hundreds of residents in Wajo, Soppeng and Sidrap regencies in
South Sulawesi, among others, fled to safer areas after Tempe
Lake in Wajo regency overflowed on Friday due to incessant rain
over the past few days.

Water inundated hundreds of houses and public facilities in
the three regencies. Thousands of hectares of paddy fields and
cacao plantations were damaged, while hundreds of livestock were
washed away. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported. Local
government has moved swiftly, evacuating citizens, providing
emergency tents and distributing food.

Flooding has become an annual problem for people living around
Tempe Lake because it is silted up, while only one river has its
upper reach at the lake.

Also in the North Sulawesi capital of Manado, some 120
families in Ternate Tanjung subdistrict sought refuge after the
Tondano River overflowed inundating the surrounding area. The
river overflowed after a heavy downpour on Thursday and Friday.

Jantje Kumajas, the head of Manado municipality's social
office, said that the families had been evacuated to high ground
including places of worship.

As residents struggled to survive after the floods, people in
other parts of the nation felt relief as floods began to subside.

In Jambi, most parts of the downtown city area had began to
dry out on Friday morning, after days of flooding that reached
one meter high. The situation allowed local residents to resume
their activities and traffic returned to normal.

But, garbage was still scattered throughout the town, the
stench increasing as roads dry out. Traffic was still clogged on
Jl. Thaha here, because many traders at Angso Duo market had left
the market to set up makeshift tents that covered part of the
road, as the market was still flooded.

In the Riau regency of Indragiri Hulu, some 300 families in
the area are still living in several refugee camps here, as water
still inundated their homes.

Floods hit the regency two weeks ago, but there was no sign
until Friday that the area would dry soon.

But, the flood victims will not have to shoulder the burden of
the floods alone, as the government is ready to help.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare, Jusuf Kalla and
Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure, Soenarno,
visited areas formerly affected by floods in Pandeglang regency,
in Banten province. Jusuf, also a presidential hopeful from
Golkar Party, promised local residents Rp 100 million (US$11,765)
to Rp 200 million in aid.

Meanwhile, although floods have ceased in most areas here,
people must be aware that the worst is apparently yet to come.

Central Sulawesi Weather Station forecast on Friday that
torrential rain and winds would sweep the Central Sulawesi area
in the next few days until February next year.

Similarly, bad weather is also forecast for the northern
coastal area of Central Java from the end of December until
January, according to Widada Sulistya, the head of Semarang
Weather Station.