6 Residents' Houses On The Banks Of The Bekasi River Lost In Floods

BEKASI Landslides occurred on the banks of Bekasi River, Warung Pojok Village RT 01 RW 02, Kebalen Village, Babelan District, Bekasi Regency, West Java. A total of 23 houses and one prayer room were affected by the soil being eroded by the swift flow of water when the Bekasi River debit increased. In fact, six houses were reported missing, eroded by the river flow.

Lasman (41), one of the residents who lost his house, said that this incident was triggered by heavy rains accompanied by floods. He revealed that nearly 70 meters of land in the area had been lost due to landslides.

"From the edge of the house that was left to the river, there were about 70 meters of land that were eroded. We hope that the government will immediately build a sheet pile along the banks of the Bekasi River to prevent wider landslides," said Lasman, Monday, December 2.

Head of the Bekasi Regency BPBD Emergency and Logistics Division, Dodi Supriadi, explained that landslides on the banks of the Bekasi River had occurred since 2019. However, the intensity has become worse in recent days due to rising volume of water and heavy currents.

"Until now, six houses have been lost, nine houses have been empty because they were abandoned by residents, and eight houses and one prayer room have been threatened. This is a cumulative condition since 2019," said Dodi.

Dodi stated that BPBD had carried out several temporary handlings with sacks and bamboo to hold the soil from the flow of water, but the effort did not last long. "The sacks and bamboo that we installed have been eroded by water," he said.

Currently, BPBD Bekasi Regency is coordinating with the Water Resources, Highways, and Construction Development Office (SDABMBK) and the River Basin Center (BBWS) for further handling.

Dodi also appealed to residents who live in affected areas to be vigilant and immediately leave their homes if they are in areas prone to landslides. "We ask residents to remain vigilant, especially if their homes are threatened. It is better not to be occupied until there is a permanent solution," he said.

Landslides on the banks of the Bekasi River are a warning of the importance of comprehensive management of riverbank infrastructure to protect residents and prevent greater losses in the future.