Sampang may sink next century

JAKARTA (JP): Future residents of Sampang, East Java, may well have to learn to keep their heads above water as regency officials warn the town could be submerged in the next century.

The head of the forestry and conservation office of Sampang regency, Budi Yudji, said the prospect was a real likelihood unless something was done about the problem of erosion and management of seawater.

"Based on scientific analysis, we cannot disregard the possibility of Sampang sinking in the next 100 years, because the strutter and character of the land is difficult to absorb water," Budi was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday.

Sampang, a town of about 700,000 people, is located on the eastern tip of Madura Island.

He explained that Sampang was always inundated during the rainy season with between one meter to two meters of water flowing from the surrounding hills.

Forestration efforts had helped curb the degradation of the land, but he deemed these efforts to be slow.

He said more long term and strategic efforts should be made to ensure that the water from the surrounding hills flowed unimpeded to the sea.

"If possible, dams should also be built to help control the floods because they also brings mudslides, making the whole area and the river even more shallow," he said.