Don't Panic With Sinkholes In West Bandung, Usually Occurs In Mountain Areas

The phenomenon of a mysterious hole or sinkhole appears on agricultural land, Mandalamukti Village, West Bandung Regency, West Java. ANTARA/HO-BPBD West Bandung Regency

JAKARTA - Geodesy expert from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) Dr. Heri Andreas said the phenomenon of hollow soil or the sinkhole phenomenon that occurred in Cikalongwetan, Bandung Regency, West Java, is common in mountainous areas.

According to him, the sinkhole phenomenon occurs due to the scouring of water under the ground against the limestone layer which causes cavities. For West Java, according to him, the limestone layer is often found in the mountains to the coast.

"But that also usually happens in areas where there are settlements, usually because of human activities, such as settlements or agriculture," said Heri in Bandung, West Java, Thursday, May 2, quoted from Antara.

The sinkhole in Cigondok Village, Mandalamukti Village, Cikalongwetan District, West Bandung Regency, West Java occurred Monday, May 30. As a result there is a hole with a diameter of 1 meter and a depth of 10 meters.

Heri said that the sinkhole at this location was also thought to be caused by a layer of limestone beneath the hollow ground. The case, he said, was allegedly caused by water entering the layer.

"Usually there is scouring of water and then the water dissolves the lime, it is closely related to human activities, so usually it comes from sanitation," he said.

He explained that the area of West Java was once an ocean area that was raised to land. Usually, he said, this phenomenon causes the layer of soil underneath to have a layer of lime.

"For example, Citatah is a limestone mountain. Actually, in many places, limestone layers are found, both in the north of Bandung, to the west, south, Sukabumi, where there is a layer of limestone," said Heri.

He also predicts that the sinkhole phenomenon will be more familiar to find in the next 10 years when there are many residential developments in mountainous areas.

As for anticipating the sinkhole phenomenon, according to him, it is easy and difficult. The reason, he said, researchers need to find areas where there is a layer of limestone under the soil.

"Looking for a layer of lime under it is quite expensive, so not many people have anticipated it," he said.

"In China and Malaysia, after finding a sinkhole and destroying one or two houses, the effort to handle it is to make cement castings to the bottom," he added.