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Flood victims reject relocation plan
ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Situbondo, East Java | Wed, 05/21/2008 10:43 AM | The Archipelago
FLOOD AFTERMATH: Two flood victims search for belongings in a residential area in Situbondo, East Java, in this photo taken in March 2008. The area was devastated by an overflowing river earlier this year.
Situbondo flood victims have rejected a government plan to relocate them, calling it a "trick by corrupt government officials", while construction of the new villages is already underway.
A four-meter-square tent shaded BNI bank retiree Suryotomo, 59, as he sat on a broken closet and watched a helper sort through his family's possessions at his damaged house in Situbondo.
Situbondo's home on Jl. Merpati was inundated with water from the Sampeyan River, which overflowed in nine subdistricts of Situbondo regency last February 8. At least 15 people died.
"My home is gone, as you can see, with nothing left on the surface," he said.
Situbondo was the worst-flooded village, with 112 houses submerged and 703 houses heavily damaged, requiring families to move.
Some 3,248 other houses were left sunken. In Panji subdistrict at least 62 houses were destroyed and hundreds of others severely damaged. Thousands people were forced to evacuate to main streets or makeshift shelters.
"The government has planned to widen the river and relocate us to a safer zone," Suryotomo said.
A new area has been chosen in Sliwung village, about 10 kilometers from the flooded area. "Can you imagine having to live there, 10 km away? Of course we reject such a foolish idea," said Tolak, another flood victim.
"We work mostly in town. How could we work if we were forced to live farther away?" Tolak said.
Nuryati, another area resident, said the community had rejected the relocation plan. They suggested another option was to compensate flood victims with money aid. "We never mentioned a figure; it's all up to the government. But we hope we could use the money to buy or build new homes," Nuryati said.
The government is pushing its plan to relocate area residents. It has started to build house foundations and roads in the new villages.
"Don't blame us, if we smell something funny in it (the plan). The government is treating us like objects, not human beings," Suryotomo said. "I can smell corruption in it."
Situbondo welfare agency head Yamin Muazin said he considered the residents' rejection a bad decision.
"It's dangerous to stay near the river. It's better for them to accept the government's plan," Yamin said.
In Jember regency, a government team that built a new village for flood victims in 2006 is currently at work, he said.
"We hope that flood victims will change their mind after seeing the new village of Jember," he added.
