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Cilacap starts evacuating residents as flooding worsens
The Cilacap administration has told residents in several areas of the regency in Central Java to move to temporary shelters as flooding increases due to incessant rainfall in southern parts of the province over the last five days
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he Cilacap administration has told residents in several areas of the regency in Central Java to move to temporary shelters as flooding increases due to incessant rainfall in southern parts of the province over the last five days.
Flooding has inundated thousands of homes and tens of thousands of hectares of paddy fields; however, no fatalities have been reported.
'We have ordered heads of districts to start evacuating residents whose houses are flooded with more than 0.5 meters of water. It is important for the sake of their own safety, although many residents are still somewhat reluctant to evacuate,' Cilacap deputy regent Ahmad Edi Susanto told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
According to official data from the Cilacap administration, the flooded areas are located in nine districts, comprising Bantarsari, Gandrungmangu, Karangpucung, Kawunganten, Kedungreja, Kroya, Majenang, Nusawungu and Sidareja.
Ahmad said floodwaters of a depth of around 30 to 70 centimeters had inundated around 4,000 houses. 'Sidareja is the worst-affected district. It is reported that 2,600 houses in seven villages in Sidareja are flooded. They are Gunungreja, Mergasari, Sidamulya, Sidareja, Sudagaran, Tegalsari and Tinggajaya villages,' said Ahmad.
He said Sidareja had evacuated around 500 residents who were currently being accommodated at the Sidareja subdistrict military command (Koramil) office, village halls and a number of residential houses located in safer areas.
Floodwaters continue to submerge Jl. Raya Buntu-Kroya, the main road at the border of Banyumas and Cilacap regencies. Dozens of vehicles are stuck on the road as floodwaters have reached a depth of up to 70 centimeters.
Dozens of farmers in Cilacap regency are also severely affected as floodwaters have inundated thousands of hectares of paddy fields, damaging rice plants.
'Rice plants here have been growing for just less than a week. They will likely rot from being inundated for several days,' said Sanroji, a resident of Sikampuh village, Kroya district.
He said farmers must replant their rice plants, which would take at last three weeks. 'It's not only about time loss. We have to start everything from zero, buying new rice seeds and paying workers to plant the rice. It will be costly, bringing us more difficulties in the midst of growing basic-commodity prices,' said Saronji.
He cited an example that in Sikampuh almost 70 percent of agricultural land was inundated and needed to be replanted. (ebf)(+++)
