Debit Air Tak Tertampung Sungai, Situbondo Dilanda Banjir Bandang

SITUBONDO - Flash floods swept through dozens of houses and public facilities in Situbondo, East Java. The flood was suspected to be caused by the avor C9 disposal river in Kendit Village/District which does not function properly.

"I convey that the river overflow flood in Kendit Village was unable to accommodate the water discharge, because the water did not come from the river but came from tributaries and irrigation canals around the river until it overflowed and there was flooding," said Kendit Police Chief Iptu Pol Harsono, Wednesday, December 25, quoted from ANTARA.

Iptu Pol Harsono emphasized that the river did not function properly because upstream the river to downstream was 4 kilometers planted with elephant grass by local residents with a height of 1.5 meters and added household waste.

According to him, the flood of river water flows normally from upstream, but after arriving at the river where elephant grass plants flowed, the water was hampered.

The elephant grass planted by residents in the village is silted, and the C9 avor disposal river, which should have reached a depth of 5 meters, has a silting of only 2 meters left.

"The depth of the river is 2 meters left. During the dry river water dry season and elephant grass is planted in the river," said Iptu Pol Harsono.

He also hopes that related agencies that have the authority to overcome river silting will immediately normalize so that river water can flow normally.

"The river in Kendit Village has a silting effect, so it is unable to accommodate the water discharge when it rains heavily upstream," said Harsono.

Flash floods in Kendit Village/District occurred on Tuesday (24/12) afternoon and the flood carrying mud and pieces of wood hit as many as 86 residents' houses and several public facilities such as bridges and mosques.

The water level mixed with mud inundated the Kendit Village highway up to 100 meters, while those who inundated residents' houses as high as 50 cm