Please, Give Us a Bridge

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Sanah (70) holds a steel wire while using a simple raft to cross the Cidurian River between Kampung Garisul and Kampung Kalong Dagul, Kalong Sawah Village, Jasinga, Bogor Regency, West Java, Tuesday (30/3/2021).

Not too far from Bogor Palace and the administrative center of Bogor Regency, residents of Kalong Dagul Hamlet on the banks of the Cidurian River are desperately grappling with dire public infrastructure.

Kalong Dagul is part of Kalong Sawah Village in Jasinga District, Bogor Regency, West Java province. A straight line being drawn on the map, Kalong Sawah is only 35 kilometers from the palace and 56 km from the regency’s administration seat in Cibinong.

This village is located in the middle of rapid development in the agglomeration areas of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.

However, lacking basic infrastructure, the village looks to be isolated following the collapse of the bridge.

The 60-meter-long bridge, which used to connect Kalong Dagul with Garisul Village, was swept away by flash floods in early 2020.

Over the past year, a bamboo raft has become the main transportation means for the villagers, who number 11,740, to reach Garisul.

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It is a daunting journey to go on the raft, about 5 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. Even though the river’s current is not very strong, it needs prowess to be able to navigate it.

That afternoon, Sanah (70), a Garisul resident, was making her way home after working on her paddy field in Kalong Dagul. Sweats had yet to dry and soil remnants were seen scattering on her body as she was about to board the raft.

She had to regroup several times before pulling the raft back toward the destination. Ten minutes passed, she finally arrived.

"Bismillah (in the name of God)," she said as she climbed onto the raft, which was connected by a rope to the steering wheel on a steel wire. Her frail hands gripped the wire and the legs held the footing firmly so that the raft did not change direction due to the current of the river. She had to regroup several times before pulling the raft back toward the destination. Ten minutes passed, she finally arrived.

"It\'s routine. Every day is like this. I am cautious and worried I could not hold the wire strong enough to keep the raft. I almost fell over many times. If the tide is high and the current is strong, I don\'t dare to cross. Like it or not, (I) would have to take a long walk around through Bunar Village,” she said on Tuesday (30/3/2021).

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Relying on the same raft, people from the two villages cross the river one after another. One of them is Asep (28), who uses it to carry his satay baskets from Garisul to Kalong Dagul. "Indeed it is risky to cross the river carrying satay baskets, but we have to continue to sell," he said.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Asep (28), a mobile satay trader, uses a simple raft to cross the Cidurian River between Kampung Garisul and Kampung Kalong Dagul, Kalong Sawah Village, Jasinga, Bogor Regency, West Java, Tuesday (30/3/2021).

The bridge’s collapse has apparently left Asep not as much to sell as before. For the past year, he has been forced to reduce his merchandise to only 100 sticks of satay. Carrying more, he was afraid, would bring him risk of failing to cross and subsequently incurring heavy losses, especially if the river tide happened to rise.

Unlike those in Garisul who reside next to the Jasinga’s main road, the residents of Kalong Dagul have to resort to river crossing to reach the main road that facilitates access to education, health, markets, transportation and the district’s administration center.

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The absence of a connecting bridge has a major impact on school children.

"(Fortunately) we are currently on holiday due to the pandemic. However, before the pandemic, this raft became the main means to take them to the school. Schools will not be continuing off. (We will) definitely go back (to school) later. The children must be watched out. They might fall into the river, especially if the tide is high,” said Yadi (38), a resident of Kalong Dagul.

He recalled some residents tumbling into the river while crossing. If they hold back from using the raft, the residents have to go around 4-5 km through the neighboring Bunar Village. It is only a less-than-five minute trip via the bridge.

"A bridge is very vital. This is our main route. Please give us a bridge," he said.

The residents have filed their complaints to the local authorities, in the hope that the government will immediately build a new bridge. However, their hopes have not been fulfilled yet.

The residents once initiated to build a bamboo bridge. Unfortunately, the makeshift crossing was washed away by the one meter high tide last month.

Head of Jasinga Sub-district Hidayat Saputradinata has voiced his concern about his people, saying reports have been submitted to the regency and provincial governments.

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The bridge in Kalong Sawah is one of three bridges having been damaged in Jasinga sub-district, with the other two being at Pangaur Village and Curug Village.

Only the latter two have been on the administration’s work plan so far although people of Kalong Sawah are now worst impacted.

However, due to the eroded riverbanks by flush floods, the river is now getting 120 meters wide. This means, we have to work a bridge on that length.

"We have reported and sent proposals to the provinces. We have measured the length of the bridge in Kalong Sawah. Previously, the bridge spanned about 60 meters. However, due to the eroded riverbanks by flush floods, the river is now getting 120 meters wide. This means, we have to work a bridge on that length,” Hidayat said.

Bogor Regency government sets aside financial assistance, but only for a bridges less than 40 meters with a budget of around Rp. 1.5 billion. The assistance will be provided to repair bridges in Pangaur and Curug.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Maman (25) carries his wares across the Cidurian River between Kampung Garisul and Kampung Kalong Dagul, Kalong Sawah Village, Jasinga, Bogor Regency, West Java, Tuesday (30/3/2021).

Upon receiving the report, Deputy Regent Iwan Setiawan has inspected the condition of Kalong Sawah bridge.

"For a span of 120 meters, at least Rp 15 billion is needed. Of course we can\'t afford to rely on the APBD (local budget). We need help. We will see whether it can be transferred to the province or central (government),” he said.

The residents of Kalong Dagul and Kalong Sawah hope it will not take long to have a new bridge.

(This article was translated by Musthofid).