Seriously! Abrasion Threatens 700 Houses In Agam, West Sumatra, Regency Government Sends Letter To Center Asking For Help

Agam Deputy Regent Irwan Fikri (second from left) inspecting abrasion in Labuhan, Nagari Tiku Lima Jorong, Tanjungmutiara District (ANTARA)

AGAM - Deputy Regent of Agam, West Sumatra, Irwan Fikri, said that the abrasion that threatened 700 housing units in Jorong Muaro Putih and Labuhan, Nagari Tiku Lima Jorong, Tanjungmutiara District needed immediate treatment from the central government. Currently, the distance from the beach to the settlements is only 300 meters.

"The abrasion condition needs immediate handling from the central government, because there are about 700 houses affected and if it's too late, the residents' houses will be eroded by the tidal wave," he said during a visit to the abrasion location, Antara, Wednesday, August 3.

The visit was accompanied by the Head of the Fisheries and Food Security Service, Agam Rosva Deswira, the Head of the Emergency and Logistics Division of the Agam Regional Disaster Management Agency, Irman, the Head of Tanjungmutiara Sub-district Hidayattul Taufik, the Secretary of Nagari Tiku Lima Jorong Anaswar and others.

He said the Agam Regency Government immediately wrote to the Sumatra V River Basin Center, the Director General of Water Resources and the PUPR Ministry, asking the PUPR Ministry to immediately find a solution to the abrasion problem in the two jorongs.

This is because the cost of installing the breakwater is quite large, while the Agam APBD and provincial APBD are not ready to build the breakwater.

"Breakfasts cost quite a bit, because 2.5 kilometers of shoreline must be installed with breakwaters and this is urgent because quite a lot of residential houses are affected," he said.

From the results of the visit, he added, the shoreline was eroded by tidal waves resulting in damaged coconut and oil palm plantations. At least in the past week about 15 meters of land has been eroded by tidal waves.

"This is the information I got from local community leaders. If this is allowed, then in one to two years the settlements will run out," he said.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Nagari Tiku Lima Jorong, Anaswar, added that the community's village had been completely eroded by abrasion in 2007, so that residents fled to safer locations 1.5 kilometers from the beach.

With frequent abrasion, their house is only 300 meters away from the beach.

"Abrasion occurs almost every month and the worst one week ago was around 15 meters. We have reported this condition to the Regent of Agam and submitted proposals several times to the Sumatra V River Region Hall," he said.