Help! Sungai Batang Sopan Talamau Filled With Wood After The Pasaman Earthquake

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - Residents of Simpang Timbo Abu and Mudiak Simpang Talamau District, West Pasaman Regency, West Sumatra, are restless with the threat of flash floods on the Batang Sopan River. Because the flow of the river is filled with drift wood material.

"Wood materials filled the Batang Sopan River and the water was cloudy after the earthquake last Friday (25/2)," said a resident around the Batang Sopan River, Dedi (46) Wednesday, March 16, quoted from Antara.

As a result, the Batang Sopan River was filled with wood material, making the river flow not smooth and obstructed.

On either side of the Batang Sopan River, it is filled with wood. The wood material is generally pieces of wood that are ready to be cut, besides that there is also wood that is suspected of being landslide material.

"It is suspected that the water flow was blocked at the top of the river caused by a post-earthquake landslide," he said.

In addition to the blocked water flow, the water debit has also decreased as usual and is cloudy.

"We are worried that there will be flash floods carrying wood materials that can hit houses and infrastructure in the area," he said.

Another resident, Zairin (41) also feels the same way with the threat of flash floods.

"We hope that there will be special handling from related parties to clean wood materials along the Batang Sopan River," he said.

Sina, 54, a displaced resident of the earthquake victims, said that every time they heard the sound of a large rock falling.

"It's very audible and makes me anxious, especially when it rains heavily," he said.