Floods inundate rice paddies in Banten

Many hectares of rice paddies in three districts of Pandeglang regency, Banten, have been inundated with floodwater for the past five days.

The water is up to 50 centimeters deep but has not submerged any houses in the area as yet, Antara state news agency reported Sunday.

“So far, no one has been killed in the flood. Residents returned to their homes as the floods began to subside,” Pandeglang police chief Adj. Snr. Comr. Krisnandi said.

Krisnandi said he had repeatedly asked residents to remain alert for the possibility of follow-up floods.
“We estimate residents lost millions of rupiah from the floods,” he said.

Residents had demanded the local administration give them aid in the form of seed and fertilizer, because their rice plants had been damaged in the floods. (ewd)