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Citarum River Overflows, Thousands Affected by Severe Floods

Days of torrential rain have brought massive floods to areas of West Java. Heavy downpours have led the Citarum River to burst its banks, leading to severe floods in nearby areas. The 300 km body of water, which is known to supply hydroelectric power to areas of Java and Bali, often overflows in the months of October to April during the rainy season. Residents in the outskirts of Bandung City have been forced to walk in streets with high water levels for days. The Bandung Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) mentioned that the horrendous rain since Wednesday had caused certain areas to flood up to 3 Metres. About 22,000 families in 10 districts of Bandung, West Java were affected by the overflowing water.

Head of the BPBD’s emergency and logistics division, Sudrajat, mentioned that hundreds of people have been evacuated via pontoons and small wooden boats. Ten years ago, the World Bank named Citarum river the most polluted river in the world. The river has long been filled with household rubbish, animal feces and toxic chemicals from nearby factories. Over the years, the government has established several clean-up efforts, slowly improving its conditions. Last year, the Indonesian government even came up with a bold plan to sterilise the river and make its waters drinkable by 2025.

 

Source: The Straits Times
Image: Antara News

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