Kuantan Singingi, Riau (ANTARA News) - Floods have inundated rice fields covering a total area of 1,942 hectares and killed a number of cattle in Kuantan Singingi district, Riau province, over the past week.

Material losses to the floods amounted to billions of rupiahs, the Head of the Kuantan Singingi Horticulture Office, Maisir, said here on Saturday.

As much as 155 hectares of rice fields were submerged in flood waters in Kuantan Mudik sub-district, besides 942 hectares in Gunung Toar, 492.5 hectares in Central Kuantan, and 355 hectares in Sentajo Raya.

Rice fields in Pangen, Kuantan Hilir Seberang, were also flooded following incessant heavy rains, he affirmed.

With Indonesia hit with the rainy season this November, floods were reported in the provinces of Aceh, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, and Jakarta.

In South Aceh district, Banda Aceh, floods and landslides that affected 10 sub-districts inflicted material losses worth Rp17 billion.

"Floods triggered by incessant heavy rains that led rivers to overflow did not claim any lives but inflicted material losses worth Rp17 billion," Afdal, a local official, noted.

The floods submerged a number of houses and also damaged farming areas, irrigation facilities and a bridge, he revealed.

Furthermore, the Head of the South Aceh Disaster Mitigation Office, Cut Syazalisma, stated that some 31,704 people, or 7,926 families, were affected by the floods.

"The areas hit by the floods include Labuhan Haji Barat, Labuhan Haji, Labuhan Haji Timur, Meukek Sawang dan Samadua, Kluet Utara, parts of Kluet Tengah, Pasie Raja, Kuta Bahagia and Trumon," Syazalisma added.

Twelve sub-districts in West Aceh district, Aceh province, were also hit by floods over the past few days. A number of houses and a bridge were damaged and land transportation routes were blocked in some villages.

The flood-affected sub-districts include Pante Ceureumen and East Woyla, which was also hit by a landslide.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBN) provided Rp1.4 billion to help flood victims in seven districts in Aceh, the Governor of the province, Zaini Abdullah, pointed out in Banda Aceh on Thursday (November 12).

The seven flood-hit districts in Aceh are Aceh Besar, Aceh Jaya, West Aceh, Southwest Aceh, Nagan Raya, South Aceh, and Aceh Singkil. Each received Rp200 million as aid.

The Aceh Disaster Mitigation Office provided relief aid worth Rp2.1 billion, the governor noted.

In addition, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo personally donated 1,500 packages of basic needs for flood victims in West Aceh.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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