Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Indonesia has been hit by changing climates of
extreme degree. Monsoon began to take toll on the country when it barely
recovered from the devastating impact of lengthy drought.
Lengthy drought worsened by weather phenomenon El Nino inflicted
heavy damage with big forest fires spewing thick smokes causing
breathing difficulty and disrupting flight schedules.
Now, over the past two weeks report coming in from various regions
about heavy rain triggered floods washing away buildings including
houses and damaging crops.
Report from West Lombok said landslides buried alive people on
Friday with four dead bodies recovered so far until Saturday.
In Aceh , five districts in the western part of the province were
hit by floods. Houses were destroyed or washed away and landslides
blocked roads isolating a number of villages.
The regional disaster control agency (BPBD) warned the local people of potential heavier rains causing worse damage.
Head of the West Aceh BPBD Endi Alfian said heavy rain continued to
pour causing floods inundating 31 villages with water as deep as 70 to
150 centimeter in the sub-districts of Panton Reu, Pante Ceuremen,
Kaway XVI, Woyla Timur, Meureubo, Bubon and Johan Pahlawan.
Many villagers had to take shelters in the house of friends and relatives in safer areas.
In Central Java, landslides hit and destroyed tens of houses in the district of Cilacap in southern part of the province.
Head of the Cilacap BPBD Tri Komara Sidhy said landslides in the
village of Jambu, sub-district of Wanaredja damaged six houses.
Tri said 13 roads were cut or blocked with piles of earth in landslides.
A number of wooden bridges were smashed and washed away by big rolling water from hilly areas, he said.
BPBD , police and military officers cooperated with villagers to
repair damaged houses and bridges, remove piles or earth and stones
from roads.
Report from Lampung said heavy rain has caused landslides in four
locations along the Krui-Liwa highway of the district of West Pesisir.
"The landslides closed the road over the past several days. It took
at least four hours to clear the road from piles of earth, uprooted
trees and big rocks," a police office said last week.
West Lampung police chief Adj. Sr. Comr Andi Kemala said 30
kilometers of the Krui-Liwa highway were right on the hill foot that
landslides could block the road any time in rainy days.
"Car drivers or motorists are warned to watch out," he said.
He said the district administration has been ready with heavy equipment to clear the road.
In West Java, the Citarum river overflowed its banks sending water to inundate the villages in that area.
The Cimeunteng village , in the regency of Bandung had been covered with flood water over the past week.
The village has always been the first to be hit by floods in rainy season, a villager Bukhori said on Tuesday.
"We have no intention of leaving our house. We have been used to
flooding. We go up upstairs waiting until the flooding in over," he
said.
He said last week the flooding was worse with water surface as high as two meters.
He said in the past floods came only once a year but now the village is hit by flooding twice a year.
"Many families have abandoned the village, but many other including
us decided to stay as we have no place to go, " he said.
He said the population of the village has been reduced to 500 from around 1,000 a few earlier.
Those staying in the villages are ready with wooden boat to be used in case of flooding that come suddenly, he said. (WDY)
Monsoon Begins to Take Toll on Indonesia
Sabtu, 19 Desember 2015 20:47 WIB