Thousands Of Fish Dead In A Week In Serayu River, Banyumas Regency Government Asks PT Indonesia Power To Take Responsibility

Banyumas Regent, Achmad Husein (holding a microphone), and General Manager of PT Indonesia Power Mrica PGU), PS Kuncoro (right) (Photo Via ANTARA)

BANYUMAS - The Banyumas Regency Government, Central Java, has asked PT Indonesia Power Mrica Power Generation Unit (PGU) to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of fish in the Serayu River that occurred in the past week.

"Because this is force majeure, we understand that it happened but this is still wrong because there is no coordination with us. If there is coordination, we might be able to prepare first," said Banyumas Regent, Achmad Husein at the Regent's Office House, Banyumas Regency, Antara, Friday, April 8.

He said this after a limited meeting to discuss the issue of the death of thousands of fish in the Serayu River that occurred on April 1 and 7 2022. The meeting was attended by the General Manager of PT Indonesia Power Mrica PGU, PS Kuncoro, a number of officials in the Banyumas Regency Government, directors of Perum DAM Tirta Satria Banyumas, and the sub-district heads whose territory the Serayu River passes through.

In addition, the Sub-Coordinator for Operation Planning and Maintenance of the Serayu Opak River Basin, Antyarsa Ikana Dani, was present virtually via zoom.

Furthermore, Husein said that if PT Indonesia Power Mrica PGU as the reservoir manager and the Panglima Besar Soedirman hydropower plant/PLTA Mrica located in Banjarnegara Regency coordinates with the Banyumas Regency Government when it will pour sedimentation mud downstream then they together with Perum DAM Tirta Satria and the community can make preparations beforehand.

"Also (the water of the Serayu River) is not as cloudy as it is, so earlier the Mrica PLTA (PT Indonesia Power Mrica PGU) admitted that it was wrong and committed to providing compensation. The first is compensation for fish that must be returned to the Serayu River, which is given to PDAM (Perum DAM Tirta Satria)," he said.

However, he admitted that he had conveyed to the directors of Perum DAM Tirta Satria not to ask PT Indonesia Power Mrica PGU for compensation.

According to him, the compensation for Perum DAM Tirta Satria should be directed to improvements to the community and could be in the form of planting tree seedlings in the upper areas as an effort to control sedimentation.

"Planting crops is much more important than PDAM asking for compensation. I don't want PDAM asking for compensation, it should only be for the community," said Husein.

He said they had also asked PT Indonesia Power Mrica PGU to improve the standard procedure for flushing sediment sludge from the reservoir plus coordination with BBWSSO and district governments in downstream areas for future improvements.

Meanwhile, Kuncoro said that for 33 years the company has always opened a draw drawn culvert (DDC).

"Especially in the rainy season, it can be twice a week, but conditions are normal and almost 33 years it hasn't happened like this. So, when we were worried to see the pulsation on the surface, we immediately rushed, because the message was how we also secure the dam because it has an impact, " he said.

In this case, he said, at the mouth of the water inlet there was a buildup of sedimentation so it had to be flushed out by opening the DDC. The opening of the DDC on March 31, 2022, was carried out briefly and the impact on the Serayu River in the Banyumas area was known on April 1, 2022.

Meanwhile, at the opening of the DDC on April 6, whose impact was known the next day, from the monitoring camera, it was seen that the output was not water, but rather lumps of avalanche material.

Kuncoro also thanked Husein for guiding him regarding the management of various things that have had an impact on the community, so that the company will coordinate efforts to conserve endemic fish in stages.

"On behalf of PT Indonesia Power, we apologize and apologize to the people of Banyumas because we have caused trouble for all of our colleagues," he said.

Meanwhile, when asked for his opinion at the meeting, Dani said that PT Indonesia Power Mrica PGU did not coordinate with Serayu Opak River Basin Great Hall (BBWSSO) regarding the plan to open a DDC in the Mrica Reservoir (PB Sudirman).

In other words, the opening of the DDC was carried out by PT Indonesia Power Mrica PGU without any recommendation from BBWSO. "The manager of the Mrica Reservoir knows what to do in emergency conditions, one of which is coordination with us, coordination with Regional leadership coordination forum (Forkompimda)," he said.