Indonesia: Deforestation may be behind Serang's deadly flash floods

Antara 6 Dec 10;

Serang (ANTARA News) - Flash floods that killed a resident of Padarincang subdistrict, Serang district, Banten province, on Monday, might be caused by the deforestation on Wangun hill, a local government official said.

"The deforestation can be observed from the signs of cut trees and wood logs carried away by the flood water and then getting stuck in residents` houses," Head of Padarincang subdistrict, Suhaemi Muhit, said.

Speaking to newsmen while visiting the flood-hit areas, Muhit said that Wangun hilly areas was widely known by local people as a water catchment area.

He said Wangun hill`s forests belonged to a state owned forestry company, PT.Perhutani, but irresponsible people might have involved in illegal logging activities inside the enterprise`s concession areas.

"I don`t know who has caused deforestation. But, the forest concession areas belong to PT.Perhutani," he said.

Deputy Head of Serang district, Ratu Tatu Chasanah, had asked residents whose villages were inundated by the flash floods to preserve the remaining forest.

"If the trees are continuously toppled, the villagers themselves will suffer losses. Flooding will hit their villages," she said.

Chasanah also said that the local authorities would investigate the wood logs used by local sawmills. "If the wood logs are taken from Padarincang subdistrict`s forest areas. This is an outlawed activity," she said.

The fash floods that submerged several thousand houses in seven villages of Padarincang subdistrict had killed a local resident and caused two others to go missing.

The flood waters was triggered by the overflowing of the Cikoneng river, Suhaemi Muhit said.

"Until Monday at 07.00 PM, the two missing residents have yet to be found," he said.
The flash floods that had been inundating various parts of the villages of Barugbug, Ciomas, Batu Kuwung, Cisaat, Cipayung, Citasik, and Sukamaju, Suhaemi Muhit since Monday at 10.00 AM shocked his people, he said.

On early Monday at 02.00 AM, heavy rains had showered the Padarincang subdistrict`s areas but the torrential rainfall was not expected to bring disaster, he said.

At least 1,500 houses were inundated, and about a thousand of them got minor damages, he said adding that the subdistrict government officials still calculated the number of seriously-damaged houses.

Due to the ongoing rainfalls, he said local residents remained alert to another flooding, he said.

Over the past year, Indonesia has been undergoing an extreme weather phenomenon, which partly characterizes with heavy rains and whirlwinds.

As the consequences of the torrential rains and whirlwinds, various vulnerable parts of the country have experienced flash floods and landslides.

Wasior town in Teluk Wondama, West Papua Province, for instance, was struck by flash floods on October 3 and 4. The Wasior flooding was the worst which had reportedly killed at least 150 people, and left a few hundreds of others still missing.

Wasior town was covered with mud, logs and rocks following the flood.(*)