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.