Severe Floods In Mahakam Ulu, Water Levels To Residents' Houses

JAKARTA - The Provincial Government (Pemprov) of East Kalimantan (East Kalimantan Provincial Government) through the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and the Social Service sent logistics, especially foodstuffs to help ease the burden on the people of Mahakam Ulu Regency who were affected by the flood.

"Today the chartered ship departed for Mahakam Ulu from Samarinda with various types of food such as rice, instant noodles, eggs, food in cans, and others," said East Kalimantan Provincial BPBD Chief Executive Agus Tianur as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, May 16.

The food ingredients sent this Thursday will arrive at Ujoh Bilang, the capital of Mahakam Ulu Regency, in the next two days because access to the area must use the Mahakam River route.

Except for medicines, his party will send them by land from Samarinda to West Kutai Regency, but from West Kutai they still have to move transportation to the river route, which is to continue their journey by fast boat to get to Ujoh Bilang.

"Before the flood incident, we had also supplied basic materials to Mahakam Ulu, including to West Kutai. Meanwhile, today's logistics delivery is due to an emergency that we really have to handle for affected residents," he said.

Floods in Mahakam Ulu, he continued, are common during high rainfall with long durations. Meanwhile, the flooding that occurred this time was a normal incident, so it needed handling. In this case, the priority is logistical needs.

This Thursday is the fourth day of flooding in Mahakam Ulu with an average height of two meters or up to the roof of a residential area. Meanwhile, the first day of flooding until the third day was about 50 centimeters high.

"All sub-districts (five sub-districts) in Mahakam Ulu were affected by the flood today. We are also trying to get a letter from the Mahakam Ulu BPBD to be submitted to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to determine the emergency status of the disaster," said Agus.