How shocked the indigenous people and transmigration settlers in SP 8 to SP 10 Masni and Sidey, Manokwari Regency. Heavy rain all night finally changed the atmosphere of cheerfulness in the night to panic frightened in the morning, February 16, 2014. Nikson Kasi, Jasoil volunteer Tanah Papua in Saray village reported from the village that the flood was sweeping the village of Mansaburi. Wariori River is a river that crosses an oil palm plantation owned by PT. Medco Papua Hijau Selaras (MPHS) overflowed due to flooding from the mountain.
At least 139 community houses in Mansaburi village, located in Masni District, Manokwari Regency, West Papua, were swept away by the floodwaters of Wariori River. There were no fatalities. However, material losses are estimated at billions of rupiah. It was saddened to be told that the plants in the garden belonging to the community and also the livestock of the community were dragged down by the floods that raged in the middle of the oil palm plantation.
According to Nikson’s story, the river overflowed at around 4:30 a.m. The river embankment was broken, so the flash floods hit the houses on its banks. Mansaburi village head Robert Gasang confirmed that there were 139 houses belonging to the local community drifting away. While the number of residents reaching 700 people was forced to evacuate to avoid flooding from Wariori River. Because until the second and third days, heavy rains continued, even though the water level was decreasing.
“Kitorang is just worried, if later the rain doesn’t stop for 2 to 3 days. This is already, the oil he has bitter has come in the form of floods, “said Demmy Safe, a Jasoil Tanah Papua activist who visited the site to ensure that his family’s home was also near the location of the flood. Nikson continued, “indeed there were no fatalities, but the floods washed away the plants in the community’s gardens such as rice, chilli, peanuts, tomatoes and other plants and so on. Livestock also flooded. “
This incident according to a number of self-sufficient and trans-national trans residents in Masni SP 8, before that at that time only on the plantation site owned by PT. PN II Parafi, the floods were not too visible. But now the floods continue to threaten the community because the forest has been opened up to the mountain area, so that the community has begun to worry about the floods that will always occur. Moreover, the rainy season like this, we always have to be vigilant, because the disaster if you want to come it doesn’t give an announcement first.
*** JASOIL Coordinator for Land of Papua – Pietsau Amafnini
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.