Faridah Hanum, head of the association of farmers Tani Abadi said in Sungai Merdeka, Samboja, Tuesday that of the 200 hectares, 145 hectares cannot be planted in the past year due to inundations.
The rice fields of the villagers were now marshes behind the hills of Jalan Soekarno-Hatta.
"Our material loss has amounted to hundreds of millions of rupiah. One thing is sure, namely there will be no harvest this March," Abdul Jabar, a leading farmer said.
He said that it means they have to buy rice, but selling it as usual.
The people saw the main cause of the floods as caused by the existing nearby coal mines, west or east of the village.
The mines have caused Merdeka river to become shallow because of sedimentation or deposits. The coal mines also caused rainfall not to become absorbed the land, and therefore the rain flows straight into the river.
"There had been no such floods before the mines," Said, a resident who had been a farmer in Samboja since the 70s.
In the meantime, PT Singlurus said the blame should not be placed only on them but also the mines downstream," he said.
The water of Merdeka river inundated the rice plants of the villagers while only one month old on 55 hectares and also 3 ha of ponds of many fish species.
Besides rice, the villagers also lost fish raised in 3 ha of ponds. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
