Refugees begin to go home as floods recede

Refugees begin to go home as floods recede

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Floods that devastated Central Java's northern coastal areas in
Kudus, Pati and Demak regencies began to recede on Sunday,
prompting many refugees, who had been stuck at several makeshift
accommodation centers, to return home.

The 12 kilometers of road leading to and from the Central Java
capital of Semarang, which had earlier been cut off due to
flooding, were reopened only to buses and trucks or other large
vehicles.

The level of floodwater there reduced from 60 centimeters (cm)
on Saturday to 20 cm to 40 cm on Sunday.

The worst-affected area was Guyangan village in Pati, where
floodwater reached a depth of 40 cm.

"But the traffic there has gradually started flowing, even
though it has to move slowly," Amlis Chaniago, a police officer
in Pati, told The Jakarta Post.

He said dozens of police personnel were still stationed at
alternative routes to guide motorists heading to or from
Semarang.

Head of the national unity and people's protection office in
Central Java Prayitno told The Post that most of the 4,900
refugees had returned home and cleaned up their houses, which had
been subject to flooding.

"A few hundred of them are still at emergency shelters like
the local legislature building and the subdistrict office," he
said.

In Kudus, about 3,600 villagers were still homeless and were
staying at 16 refugee camps located in six subdistricts of Jati,
Undaan, Mejobo, Kaliwungu, Jekulo and Kudus.

Floodwater at their submerged villages deceased from 250 cm on
Friday to 175 cm on Sunday.

A herdsman, Sabari, and his cow, were killed after being
struck by lightening in Kudus, while another person was found
dead at Wedung village in Demak. He had been drowned in the Gelis
river on Thursday.

Two other victims were a three-year-old baby, Zomah Lisparmi,
and 10-year-old Nur Arif, who were killed in separate landslides.

Kudus Regent Amin Munadjat said the one-week-long floods had
caused Rp 22 billion in losses to his regency and to local
residents.

Meanwhile, in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), at least one person
died after rains and storms hit Pualo Alor regency last week,
paralyzing sea and land transportation and destroying several
public facilities.

Legislator Fidelis Tua Tolang said, in Pualo Alor on Saturday
night, that local residents had chosen to remain at home, adding
that the storms produced large waves of up to four meters in
height.

The destruction caused losses of around Rp 8 billion, local
officials said.

In Bali, around 600 fishermen from the Benoa coastal area were
forced to remain at port since Cyclone Chris swept waters off the
resort island and NTT last week.

"Since the tropical cyclone swept the region, we have been
prohibited by seaport chiefs and ship owners from sailing due to
the bad weather," Sudarno, a fishing boat captain in Benoa, told
Antara on Sunday.

He could not say when he and his colleagues could resume
fishing as the weather remained bad.