Disaster Survivors Held Waiting for Relocation

A year after natural disaster hit areas of Bogor, displaced villagers have been forced to return to their homes in Sinar Harapan hamlet despite it being still in the red zone, as hopes for relocation remain on hold.

KOMPAS/AGUIDO ADRI

Yanto Haryanto (43), a resident of Sinar Harapan Village, Harkatjaya Village, Sukajaya, Bogor Regency, West Java, carried his son, who was 7 months old at the time of the landslide, and barely survived because he was swept away by a heavy current of water mixed with soil. Currently, a number of residents have returned to Sinar Harapan Village, which has been designated as a disaster red zone because temporary housing is considered very inappropriate.

The horror of the landslides and flash floods that hit their village in early 2020 still haunts Yanto Haryanto (43), a resident of Sinar Harapan (literally light of hope) hamlet, Harkatjaya village, Sukajaya district, Bogor Regency in West Java.

The devastating disaster almost killed his 7-month-old baby, who was swept away by the fast-flowing muddy sludge.

"I am grateful that my child is safe. I hugged them while running to safety. They were in my arms, I remembered my uncle above. He didn't survive," recalled Yanto in a trembling voice on Thursday (11/11/2021).

The landslide that came so quickly claimed six lives, while three residents were declared missing.

Following the disaster, 126 families took refuge in temporary shelters and the Sinar Harapan hamlet was designated as part of the red zone area declared unsafe for residing.

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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, on his visit to the disaster area, instructed that the residents of Sinar Harapan be given priority of attention, given the fact they had been the hardest hit. The village also had to be revegetated.

However, the President's instructions seem to have been followed only partially. For more than a year the villagers lived in temporary, indecent shelters.

In the temporary shelters they endured searing sun in the day and freezing wind at night. They also suffered from scarce clean water, making living uncomfortable.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

An aerial photo of the residence of the residents of Sinar Harapan Village which was partially submerged due to a landslide in Harkatjaya Village, Sukajaya District, Bogor Regency, West Java, Sunday (12/1/2020).

The conditions became unbearable, with many families finally opting to return to their villages despite the disaster vigilance status still in place.

The current situation, in which the rainfall is reported as intense, means living in the red zone village comes with risks.

When it rains, the residents are overwhelmed by fear of repeated disaster. They are also exposed to land subsidence, based on the warnings about potential land movement events by the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG).

The agency has disclosed ten districts in Bogor regency that are prone to land subsidence. They are Sukajaya, Nanggung, Leuwiliang, Citeureup, Babakanmadang, Sukamakmur, Tamansari, Tenjolaya, Cijeruk and Cigombong.

We are aware and understand the risks. But for how long would we have to live in such an increasingly unworthy shelter?

The situation became more alarming when Yanto and Uci Supri (50), a fellow resident, found their houses were cracking, which they believed was due to ground movement.

"This is how we go through every day, being cautious especially when it rains. Try to stay here for a week. We've been living here for months. We have no choice because we have not been relocated to a permanent residence as we were promised,” Uci said.

Following the disaster, the village had seemingly turned into a ghost village with it being completely deserted before Uci and other residents returned. However, not all residents have come back. There are still 26 families at the refuge shelters.

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> Elegy for early 2021: Upstream Landslides, Downstream Flooding

“Returning home, we received criticism for being stubborn, rebelling against the curfew. That is not the case. Indeed, we do not want to live in the red zone of a disaster,” Uci said.

“We are aware and understand the risks. But for how long would we have to live in such an increasingly unworthy shelter? In the meantime, the permanent homes that have been completed are actually reserved for the other villagers. But we are the residents who have been mostly affected," he added.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Members of the joint team of the National SAR Agency (Basarnas) conducted a search for victims buried by landslides in Sinar Harapan Village, Harkat Jaya Village, Sukajaya, Bogor, on the 10th day or three more days from the normal 7-day search time, Saturday (11/1). /2020).

Relocation rights

Yanto, Uci and other residents are still facing uncertainty surrounding relocation, having yet to be moved to the new residence.

The new residential site is located in an oil palm plantation area operated by PTPN 8 on the border between Sukaraksa village and Cigudeg village, where the construction of as many as 205 permanent homes have been completed.

The Sinar Harapan survivors were hopeful for the relocation so that they could move away immediately from the disaster-prone village.

Yet Yanto and other residents went to the village officials and related parties to ask about relocation only to be shocked to find out that they could not be relocated because they had refused the relocation.

I have to check first what has caused the delay. What has been planned in the context of the fulfilment of the residents’ rights should have been committed.

"That confused us. How come they said we had refused? We were shown our signatures on a statement that says the residents refused to be relocated. In fact, what we signed had been a statement of our willingness to be relocated. We wonder what this is,” said Yanto, who is head of the neighborhood unit RW 007.

Meanwhile, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said he would check the issue regarding the relocation of residents from Sinar Harapan.

“I have to check first what has caused the delay. What has been planned in the context of the fulfilment of the residents’ rights should have been committed," he said.

This article was translated by Musthofid.