13 July 2023
"THINK before sharing" becomes the basic principle for every Insan Harita in using social media. Before sharing information, we need to test it with several questions. Is the information we are going to share True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind ?
For example, the incident of the Todoku river overflowing into the residential area of Kawasi Village on Friday, June 16, 2023, which was widely circulated on social media and reported by several online media outlets. From the circulating information, Harita Nickel, the owner of the Mining Business License (IUP) through PT Trimegah Bangun Perada (PT TBP), the source of Todoku river, was accused of being the cause of the flood in Kawasi Village.
Is that information true? Let's find out from competent sources who know the situation on the ground exactly.
The Head of Mining Engineering at PT TBP, Primus Priyanto, provided an explanation regarding the matter. According to him, the overflow of water from the Todoku river into the residential area was not caused by mining activities but rather due to high rainfall.
This explanation is supported by data from rainfall monitoring at five observation stations prepared by the company. The data shows that the rainfall during the incident on Friday (6/16/2023) exceeded 100 mm per day, classified as very heavy rainfall. There was even one point that reached 182 mm per day, which falls under the category of extreme rainfall.
The water overflowed into a small portion of the residential area with a height of 40 cm, which ironically was reported as a flash flood, originating from three points of the Todoku river. These points include the Elang Bridge, where no embankment was built due to it being used as an access point for residents, and the Merah Bridge. The high rainfall caused an increase in water discharge in the Todoku river, resulting in overflow at these three points.
Regarding the reported breach in the embankment, the company has indeed constructed embankments along the Todoku river, located behind the residential area. All of these embankments are in good condition. However, at the point where the overflow occurred, no embankment was built as it is used as an access route for residents.
So it can be affirmed that the company had undertaken mitigation efforts before the incident on June 16, 2023, occurred. Besides constructing embankments, the company has also created sedimentation ponds and widened the Todoku river, which originally had a width of 5-7 meters, to 17-20 meters.
"After the incident, we didn't remain idle. As of now, the temporary repair of the Elang Bridge has been completed. Next, we will proceed with the permanent repair of the bridge and the widening of the Todoku river watershed," he explained.
The company will also widen the Buaya Bridge, which leads to the mouth of the Todoku river. With the bridge repairs and the widening of the Todoku river watershed, it is hoped that similar incidents can be anticipated and prevented.
It can also be mentioned that the water inundation of up to 40 cm in a small portion of the residential area did not last long. The next day, on Saturday morning (17/6/2023), after the water overflowed into the settlement the previous afternoon, the residents' activities returned to normal.
By the way, concerning the overflow of the Todoku river into the village settlement in Kawasi, it turns out that it is not the first time it has occurred. According to the Head of Kawasi Village, Arifin Saroa, floods have occurred several times, even before the company's activities. The cause is the high rainfall from higher grounds to the residential area, which is at a lower contour surface.
That's the explanation regarding the overflow of the Todoku river into the Kawasi village settlement last month. So, once again, we can cross-check any information with competent parties to verify its accuracy.
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