Submerged Village Reappears as Karian Dam Dries Up During Dry Season

Residential buildings hold memories and living experiences for their inhabitants. The receding water at the Karian Dam in Lebak Regency, Banten, during the dry season has allowed former residents to revisit and reminisce about the remnants of their old homes.

At the bottom of the dam, traces of former community life are now visible. Several house structures remain, though only the walls are left standing; the roofs and original shapes are no longer intact. Not only houses, but a mosque building is also visible on the dry ground. This dry season has brought residents back to recall stories of the location they once occupied.

The area was previously a densely populated settlement. The villages were abandoned by residents in 2023 when the land was repurposed to become a water catchment area for the Karian Dam. Maretha Ayu Kusumawati, Head of General Affairs and Administration at the Cidanau Ciujung Cidurian River Basin Centre (BBWS C3), stated that the location at the upstream end of the reservoir in Sukarame and Sukajaya villages, Sajira District, was originally a dense residential area.

The buildings were not demolished when the area was flooded. Officials only cleared the vegetation within the area. Maretha Ayu explained that although the entire reservoir area had been acquired, not all affected buildings were demolished. The construction team’s clearing process only involved removing the plants. She noted that the reservoir water has currently receded by only about 5 per cent, making the abandoned houses clearly visible. At the reservoir’s flood water level, some houses would be submerged because the height difference from the normal water level is about 3.35 metres. Currently, the elevation has dropped by about 80 centimetres from the normal water level.

Several residents have returned to visit their former village. Odon, a former resident of the reservoir area, said that usually only the mosque rooftops were visible when the water was deep. He noted that many structures have emerged, such as in Kampung Susukan and Karian, because the water has receded. Odon’s house was in Kampung Bolang, located in the middle of the reservoir. Although his house is not currently visible, he visited two weeks ago when the water had receded. He said he went to remember his birthplace. Odon and many other residents did not move far from their original location; they bought new houses near the Karian Dam. He mentioned that residents typically use rafts when visiting the reservoir, guessing where their old homes used to be.

This marks the first time the settlement has clearly reappeared since it was submerged in 2023. The condition is attributed to the prolonged dry season. Dedi Yudha Lesmana, Head of BBWS C3, said that previously only parts of the buildings were visible in Sukarame and Sukajaya villages. He confirmed that the reservoir’s water supply remains safe for irrigation and raw water needs in the downstream areas. The former settlement is located upstream of the dam at an elevation above +64.50 metres and is 16 kilometres from the dam axis. Even when the reservoir water is at a normal level, some of the acquired land and buildings remain partially visible because they are only partially submerged. Dedi added that BBWS C3 continues to maintain water availability in the managed reservoirs to ensure community water needs are met.