Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Archipelago | Mon, January 19 2015, 9:46 AM
Hundreds of residents displaced by a landslide in Jemblung hamlet in Banjarnegara regency, Central Java, are running out of patience as they wait to move to reloca-tion areas as promised by the government.
“I’m bored of just eating and sleeping at the shelter and doing nothing. We feel uncomfortable with the house owner who put us up here. We wish to be immediately placed in a new home as the government has promised, but we don’t know when,” affected resident Adi Yulianto told The Jakarta Post last week.
Adi lost his wife and two children in the tragedy.
The same sentiment was expressed by Dayus, another displaced resident. He said that he and other residents wished to be provided with a permanent place to stay immediately.
“Although the food is adequate, we have no money,” said Dayus.
Around 82 families, encompassing 270 people, who were displaced by the landslide in Jemblung are still taking shelter as of now.
They are staying in residents’ homes in the neighboring village at the expense of the Banjarnegara regency administration. They refused to rebuild their damaged homes on the basis of trauma following the Dec. 12, 2014 disaster.
“They will remain staying at the temporary homes until their homes are completed at the relocation site. The government will cover all their living costs while they are taking shelter,” Banjarnegara Vice Regent Hadi Supeno said.
Hadi said that the residents’ rejection of returning to their former homes was natural and clearly understood.
Besides trauma, the soil condition in Jemblung was not considered safe because of the risk of further landslides. “So, without them rejecting it, we have provided land for relocation for Jemblung residents, as well as those living in disaster-prone areas,” said Hadi.
As reported earlier, the landslide in Jemblung hamlet on Dec. 12 buried alive at least 108 people.
Of the number, 97 bodies have been recovered. As many as 13 excavators were deployed in the recovery process, which involved a joint search and rescue team, including around 2,500 volunteers.
The search mission was stopped 10 days after the disaster due to the site’s rough terrain and as most of the bodies were in a state of advanced decomposition.
Jemblung is now deserted, as survivors were reluctant to return to their former land after their ordeal and because of fear of subsequent landslides.
The Banjarnegara regency administration plans to reforest the disaster location. The administration will acquire the land and will compensate land owners with land in relocation areas.
Hadi said four relocation points had been planned to accommodate the affected residents. One of them is located at the disused Karangkobar bus terminal spanning around 1,000 hectares, and the three other points are located in Karanggondang village, which is also in Karangkobar district, measuring around 4,000 hectares in total.
“Around 5,000 hectares are needed to relocate 82 families from Jemblung hamlet at a cost of nearly Rp 10 billion [US$830,000]. The funds will be used to buy land from Karanggondang villagers on which the new homes will be built,” Hadi said on Friday.
The plot of the former bus terminal will not be procured because it is already owned by the Banjarnegara regency administration.
Refugees complain they cannot be productive or make an income They are sheltered at the expense of local administration 5,000-hectare area prepared for the relocation