Bojonegoro regency struggles for flood recovery
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Bojonegoro
Kanor village in Bojonegoro, East Java, located along the Bengawan Solo River, was hit by floods more than a month ago, but recovery work has yet to restore conditions.
Many dams and bridges in the village were damaged in the floods, along with homes, schools, graveyards and thousands of hectares of ready-to-harvest rice fields.
Thousands were forced from their homes, but there were no reports of casualties in the flooding that devastated 15 districts in the regency.
Local residents referred to the destruction as a minor doomsday, pointing to broken embankments and bridges. Limestone earth and clay, used to plug broken embankments, resembled mud traps.
Motorcycles traveled on heavily damaged roads that looked like off-road trails where riders frequently fall.
A number of passing public minivans also found themselves trapped in the mud. Pedestrians often walked barefoot, trudging through knee-deep mud in places.
“Conditions could worsen if it rains now. The public works office should be held responsible,” said resident Eko Prayitno.
A number of the broken bridges had been temporarily fixed with bamboo, with vehicles taking turns to cross over them.
When it rains now, residents said they watched the water level of the Bengawan Solo River passing along the western part of the village.
Last Thursday the water level rose and the river overflowed onto roadways.
“My family and I were fearful the river would burst its banks,” said Tukul, a villager whose house is located near the river.
Tukul’s house was engulfed in chest-high water last month during the floods that destroyed all his belongings.
Residents were aware they lived in a flood-prone area, especially since it is located in the upper reaches of the longest river in Java.
They believed the latest flood was triggered by water released from the Gajah Mungkur reservoir in Central Java.
“If the reservoir releases its water, the level of the Bengawan Solo River rises and floods are inevitable. So what else can we do?” said another resident, Munir.
Many residents were pessimistic over a proposal to restore broken dikes in Bojonegoro.
Building permanent dikes, they said, would not make much of a difference when the Bengawan Solo started overflowing.
“They (broken embankments) could create more adverse impacts when they break. We fear the rapid rush of water could claim peoples’ lives,” said Munir.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Add comment February 6th, 2008