Two regencies in South Kalimantan hit by floods
Floods have inundated two regencies in South Kalimantan Province, namely Tapin and Hulu Sungai Tengah, as heavy rainfall in the upstream Meratus mountain area persists in recent days. The construction of the Riam Kiwa Dam in Banjar Regency still faces land acquisition and compensation issues for villagers’ plantations spanning 771.5 hectares.
Head of the South Kalimantan Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Roni Eka Saputra, said in his disaster briefing on Tuesday, 19 May, that the floods were caused by the high rainfall in the upstream area of the Meratus mountain range.
‘Huge rainfall intensity is still falling in several parts of Kalsel, causing floods,’ he said.
BPBD data shows that floods in Tapin Regency affected several villages in Tapin Selatan and Tapin Utara. Hundreds of homes were submerged with water depths averaging 50 cm to 75 cm.
The worst floods occurred in five kelurahan and eight desa across three districts in Hulu Sungai Tengah, including Batu Benawa, Pandawan and Kota Barabai, the regency capital. It was recorded that floods submerged 3,000 homes housing more than 8,000 people and affected various public facilities. In some locations, flood depths reached more than one metre.
Separately, the provincial government of South Kalimantan, together with the Kalimantan River Basin Office and related stakeholders, held a meeting to optimise and accelerate the construction of the Riam Kiwa Dam in Banjar Regency. The meeting was chaired by Tyas Widiarto, the Chief Prosecutor of South Kalimantan High Prosecutor’s Office.
The construction of the Riam Kanan Dam is part of a national strategic project (PSN) believed to be able to address about 70% of the annual flood problems in the South Kalimantan region. The dam is also projected to support food security with an irrigation network covering 1,800 hectares. It is also expected to become a 3.5 megawatt power plant and supply 1,000 litres per second of raw water.
Unfortunately, the construction of the Riam Kiwa Dam remains hampered by the land compensation process for villagers’ trees and crops within a forest area of 771.5 hectares. The Kalsel Attorney General Tyas Widiarto highlighted the protracted development of the Riam Kiwa Dam since 2019. (DY/E-4)
The floods that have afflicted several areas in South Kalimantan since December 2025 have depressed residents’ economy.
The Banjar Regency government in South Kalimantan has implemented remote schooling or online learning in response to the ongoing flood conditions in parts of the region.
Outbreaks of water-borne disease (balancat) and diarrhoea have begun to affect flood victims in South Kalimantan.
The Ministry of Environment will conduct an environmental audit of 182 mining and palm oil companies deemed to be responsible for environmental damage and floods.
The South Kalimantan provincial government has raised the disaster status to a hydrometeorological disaster alert as floods worsen in the region.