The Jakarta Globe, January 21, 2014.
Yogyakarta. The Central Java Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency is on alert for a possible overflow of the Bengawan Solo River and a flood of cold lava from the Mt. Merapi volcano that could be triggered by heavy rain in the province.
“The brief rains yesterday at the peak of Mt. Merapi has drowned four sand miners, while water levels of the Bengawan Solo River are still under control,” the agency’s head Sarwa Pramana said in Semarang on Sunday.
The sand miners ignored the warnings issued by the Kepuharjo village head a month ago to stay away from the mountain slope.
The village head Heri Suprapto said the local administration had prohibited sand mining activities in the river since a month ago. He added that several areas such as the Sukoharjo, Karanganyar, Klaten, and Cepu districts would be inundated by floods if the Bengawan Solo River burst its banks.
The Kaliadem neighborhood was nearly covered in volcanic material after the 2010 eruption, which attracts many sand traders from Yogyakarta and Central Java regions.
Sarwa said factors that would cause the river to burst its banks, aside from heavy rain, is poor management of water levels at the Wonogiri Dam.
“If one of the water gates at the dam is opened, it would impact areas along the course of the Bengawan Solo River,” he said.
Sarwa said the disaster mitigation agency has asked all parties to anticipate the four-year flood cycle.
“Hopefully an eruptions like the one in 2010 will not happen again, but to anticipate it, we have drafted a contingency plan by preparing volunteers, meeting points for evacuees, evacuation locations and referral hospitals,” Sarwa said.
Herizal, head of the Semarang Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, meanwhile forecasted heavy rain for the province until the beginning of February.
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di 21 jan 2014 - 5:39