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Jakarta Post

Environmental destruction blamed for major flooding

  • Apriadi Gunawan

    The Jakarta Post

PREMIUM
Medan   /   Thu, November 8 2012   /  08:01 am

The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) in North Sumatra has attributed the major flooding that hit several regencies over the last week to the rapid rate of environmental destruction.

“Large-scale oil palm plantation has infringed embankments along many rivers in North Sumatra, including in Padang Lawas. When heavy rainfall takes place, the narrower rivers are unable to accommodate the volume of water, which thereby overflows,” North Sumatra BPBD chairman Ahmad Hidayat Nasution said on Wednesday.

The major flooding, sparked by incessant and heavy rainfall, hit several regencies, including Serdang Bedagai, Deli Serdang, Mandailing Natal, Padang Lawas and Labuhan Batu.

Besides disrupting the Trans-Sumatra highway, which links the northern part of Sumatra in Banda Aceh to the southern tip of the island in Bakauheni, Lampung, the disaster submerged thousands...