In Karawang, thousands of residents were still fleeing to higher ground as water levels at Jatiluhur Dam rose to 180.41 meters on Thursday afternoon, compared to the average level of 107 meters, news portal Pikiran Rakyat Online reported.

“It’s impossible for the water level to reach 110 meters” unless water levels at dams in Saguling and Cirata in West Java were not controlled, Djendam Rajasinga, the director of Jasa Tirta II, which operates the Jatiluhur dam, said.

He said part of the dam’s bank may have to be blown up to allow water to flow and prevent the whole dam from collapsing. The dam is designed to contain water up to 110 meters high.

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan blamed the situation partially on the conversion of large parts of the banks of the Citarum River into agricultural land, leading to “22 percent of the land being problematic”.

He said the government was taking over abandoned fields in the upstream areas of the Citarum River to help deal with recurring floods.

"We will start collecting data in April on the fields to be reforested,” Zulkifli was quoted as saying by Antara news agency on the sidelines of his visit to the flooded Baleendah area in Bandung regency.

“I saw houses in Karawang entirely submerged. The rehabilitation of the Citarum upstream region can no longer be delayed,” he said.

West Java provincial legislature speaker Irfan Suryanagara agreed, saying that rehabilitating forests in the upstream region was necessary to help stop recurring floods.

“Broadening the Citarum River would not be effective unless the upstream areas are rehabilitated,” Irfan said.

Floods along the Citarum’s banks in Karawang, believed to be the worst in the last 15 years, are reported to have inundated more than 15,000 houses in the 10 districts of West and East Karawang, West and East Teluk Jambe, Ciampel, Batujaya, Pakisjaya, Rengasdengklok, Klari and Jayakerta.

The floods are also reported to have submerged more than 800 hectares of rice fields across Karawang.

In Jakarta, Coordinating Public Welfare Minister Agung Laksono said the government would provide Rp 500 million (US$ 54.765) worth of emergency response for victims in Karawang.

He met with Karawang Regent Dadang S. Muchtar, who has declared a two-week state of emergency in the area.

After the week-long flood, some residents have said they had not received any assistance. “Just requesting aid is complicated. We’ve been waiting for five days,” Endang, a flood survivor, was quoted as saying by Radar Karawang daily.

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