Mud banks clogging up 19 rivers in Indramayu

Nana Rukmana, Indramayu

Unnatural increases in river siltation has adversely affected at least 19 rivers in Indramayu regency, West Java, in recent years and lowering productivity of fisherman and farmers in the coastal regency, a top government official has said.

"Thirty million tons of mud is clogging up the 19 rivers each year on average here, leaving problems for the local community and the regency government," said Irianto M.S. Syaifuddin, the regent of Indramayu.

Some of the affected rivers were Cimanuk, Cilalanang, Pangaupan and Cipanas rivers.

The sedimentation, which is the worst in West Java province, is a result of its lower coastal area and more and more mud coming from the deforested areas further upriver, said Irianto.

He added that the unnaturally high sedimentation costs the fishermen and farmers in the area dearly.

After the rainy season, when the level of sedimentation is high, the fishermen were often unable to sail their boats out to sea as the rivers are just too shallow, he said.

The sedimentation also brought losses to the pond farmers, as the shallow rivers often result in the widening of the river, and it overflows into nearby oyster and fish ponds and kills the fish.

He said that he had reported the problems to President Megawati Soekarnoputri and several ministers who visited the regency recently, but he did not have a concrete response yet.