Life Calling in the Land of Disaster

Despite living in a disaster area, DJ Hidayat has not given up on life, nor given himself up to lament.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

DJ Hidayat

For 34 years, DJ Hidayat aka Abah Hidayat has struggled with floods during the rainy season. Despite living in a disaster area, he has not given up on life, nor given himself up to lament. Instead, he adapted to survive and has become a volunteer for disaster mitigation in the area.

Rain was drizzling down in Baleendah, Bandung regency, West Java, on Thursday (29/10/2020) afternoon. Even though the rain was not strong, it was still a warning signal for Hidayat. Floods in the area often occur due to water sent from upstream.

His eyes, which were originally looking at the sky, turned to the smartphone in his hand. He opened the Citarum River Flood Forecasting and Warning System app to find out the water surface level (TMA) of the Citarum River in several locations.

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He also monitors the WhatsApp group to get rainfall information in Majalaya, Banjaran (Bandung Regency) and Bandung City. This group consists of disaster mitigation volunteers in several flood mitigation locations.

"Still safe. The average TMA is below 1.5 meters. Also, the rain [is] only in the city of Bandung, "he said.

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Decades of experience as a volunteer have made him able to predict when floods will arrive in Baleendah and its surroundings through various indicators, one of which is if the TMA in a number of locations, such as Majalaya and Banjaran, is above 2 meters.

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DJ Hidayat

The flood risk also increases when the rain pours down in the upstream areas of Citarum, Cisangkuy and Cikapundung simultaneously. The three rivers go through Baleendah, Dayeuhkolot and Bojongsoang. The area is frequently flooded.

When the TMA is above normal, Hidayat immediately passes on the news via the WA group. "From [my] experience so far, it took 3-3.5 hours for the flood to reach here. That way, residents have time to move themselves and their belongings to the second floor, or evacuate," he said.

Aside from conveying information, Hidayat and other residents often trace narrow alleys to check the evacuation routes. This is because, when a flood occurs, the boats cannot go through an alley less than 1 meter wide. As a result, residents are in danger of being trapped by flooding and hard to reach by rescuers.

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For five years, Hidayat has invited residents in narrow alleys to attach a rope to the house wall. When the area is inundated, people can move through the floodwater more safely by holding onto the rope.

In addition to mitigation, Hidayat is also often involved in evacuating residents trapped in floods. When the flood arrives, he and a number of Disaster Risk Mitigation Forum volunteers are on standby at the Bandung regency Disaster Management Agency Post in the Inkanas building, Baleendah.

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Usually, they evacuate children under 5 and elderly residents. The time is uncertain, it can be in the morning, afternoon, or evening. If there is an emergency, such as someone who is sick, evacuation is even carried out in the early morning.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

DJ Hidayat

At home, Hidayat also remains prepared. He has a boat made from solid cork, 75 centimeters wide and 1.5 meters long. Above it is a bucket tied to both sides of the boat.

“This boat is usually used to evacuate babies. It is very risky to break through the flood while carrying a baby,” said Hidayat.

Hidayat is no longer young, he is more than half a century. His physical strength has begun to wane, but the thought of quitting as a disaster mitigation volunteer has not yet crossed his mind.

Having experienced floods himself, he is driven to help people facing the same risks. He has the principle that survivors must be able to face disasters and try to mitigate their risks.

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"It\'s like a soul calling. We are both troubled, because almost every year [we are] hit by floods. So, we must help each other to support each other," said the grandfather of three grandchildren.

He still remembers the big flood hitting Baleendah in 1986, when water up to 4 meters high inundated thousands of houses.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

DJ Hidayat

Many residents were trapped on the roofs, and it took more than a week for the flood to completely recede. This experience has made Hidayat aware of the importance of mitigation. Since then, he has devoted himself to volunteering for disasters. He has established a communication network with other volunteers in the upstream areas of the river. This network of volunteers give him much knowledge.

Despite frequent flooding, Hidayat has no intention of moving from Baleendah. That location is the land of his birth that he wants to continue to live in. He has learned to accept the danger.

In 2016, he built a house on 2-meter stilts, after the previous house was hit by a flood as high as 1.2 meters in 2015. "Since we live in the stilt house, water has never entered the house. Even in the flood season, we don\'t need to evacuate,” he said.

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It\'s not easy. [My] wish is that, when the floods arrive and residents are evacuated, they will understand how to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the evacuation sites

The Covid-19 pandemic increases the risks for flood survivor. This prompted Abah to become a volunteer for the Covid-19 task force. He spread the message on the importance of wearing masks, maintaining a distance from others and avoiding crowds.

"It\'s not easy. [My] wish is that, when the floods arrive and residents are evacuated, they will understand how to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the evacuation sites," he said.

Even though the government has yet to come up with a solution to dealing with floods in southern Bandung, Hidayat did not want to simply criticize. Even though he is no longer young, he is still passionate about educating people on adapting to living in a land of disaster.

DJ Hidayat

Place, DOB: Baleendah, Bandung Regency, November 8, 1963

Wife: Lela Sari (52)

Highest education: Yayasan Pengembangan Pendidikan Indonesia high school, Baleendah (graduated 1982)

Activity: Volunteering for Disaster Risk Mitigation Forum in Bandung regency