Situ Gintung
Encyclopedia
Situ Gintung was an artificial lake
near to the town of Cirendeu
in Tangerang District
, Indonesia
. It was formed by a dam up to 16 metres (52.5 ft) high which was built by Dutch colonial authorities
in 1933. The dam failed on 27 March 2009, draining the lake, with resulting floods killing at least 100 people.
in Tangerang District. The dam was originally built of earth by Dutch colonial authorities in 1933 and was up to 16 metres (52.5 ft) high. It was made from earth compacted into a wall 16 metres (52.5 ft) high and the reservoir held at least 2000000 cubic metres (70,629,332.4 cu ft) of water. The original use of the dam had been to retain water for irrigation of rice paddies
which were then replaced by urban development. People living near the dam had made complaints about leaks in the past and the dam actually breached in November 2008 but no damage was done. It is thought that little maintenance had been carried out since the dam was built.
was too small. The dam was overtopped, eroding the dam surface and resulting in a breach 70 metres (229.7 ft) wide at around 2 am on 27 March local time (7 pm 26 March GMT).
Cracks were reportedly visible in the face of the dam embankment from around midnight. The dam operators apparently sounded a warning siren shortly before the dam failed. A surge of water and debris several metres high was sent into the town of Cirendeu, washing away cars, houses and a brick-built bridge. The flood hit while most of the population was asleep and left standing water up to 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) deep. Many people were trapped in the town, many townspeople took to their rooftops to avoid the floodwaters. The flood killed 98 people, and 5 more were unaccounted for. The waters also inundated around 400 homes of which 250 were damaged or destroyed, displacing 171 people. The flood submerged five power terminals cutting drinking water supplies to the nearby suburb of Lebak Bulus
.
The government of Indonesia evacuated people to higher ground at a nearby university campus. The Indonesian Army
was brought in to rescue survivors and to move dead bodies to a nearby makeshift morgue. The site of the disaster has been visited by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
, Vice-President Yusuf Kalla and Welfare Minister Aburizal Bakrie
and the government stated that it would pay for repairs to houses damaged by the flood. Emergency repairs to the dam structure are underway and the government has begun inspections of similar dam structures. President Yudhoyono promised that the cause of the disaster would be investigated, and any dam staff found to have been negligent in their duties would face court charges. Six officials have since been cited for negligence by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment.
According to the BBC
the area has "an ageing, poorly maintained drainage system which struggles to cope with heavy rainfall". Floods in 2007
in the nearby capital Jakarta
killed more than 50 people. Yudhoyono has vowed to rebuild the dam "in a proper way so that it will not cause any further public concern".
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
near to the town of Cirendeu
Cirendeu
Cirendeu is a suburb of the town of Ciputat. It is located in the Tangerang District, Banten Province in Indonesia. The suburb was home to the Situ Gintung, an artificial lake and dam which was breached on 27 March 2009, causing the deaths of at least 99 people.- References :...
in Tangerang District
Tangerang
Tangerang is a city in the Province of Banten, Indonesia. It is located about 25 km west of Jakarta. It is the third largest urban center in the Jabotabek region after Jakarta and Bekasi. It has an area of 164.54 km² and an official intercensal estimated population of 1,537,244 for 2005...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It was formed by a dam up to 16 metres (52.5 ft) high which was built by Dutch colonial authorities
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
in 1933. The dam failed on 27 March 2009, draining the lake, with resulting floods killing at least 100 people.
History
The lake and dam are located in the suburb of Cirendeu, CiputatCiputat
Ciputat is a subdistrict in the city of South Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia. The population is 207,800....
in Tangerang District. The dam was originally built of earth by Dutch colonial authorities in 1933 and was up to 16 metres (52.5 ft) high. It was made from earth compacted into a wall 16 metres (52.5 ft) high and the reservoir held at least 2000000 cubic metres (70,629,332.4 cu ft) of water. The original use of the dam had been to retain water for irrigation of rice paddies
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
which were then replaced by urban development. People living near the dam had made complaints about leaks in the past and the dam actually breached in November 2008 but no damage was done. It is thought that little maintenance had been carried out since the dam was built.
2009 flood
The area experienced several hours of heavy rain on the night of 26–27 March 2009 which caused the dam level to rise, apparently because the gate leading to the spillwaySpillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
was too small. The dam was overtopped, eroding the dam surface and resulting in a breach 70 metres (229.7 ft) wide at around 2 am on 27 March local time (7 pm 26 March GMT).
Cracks were reportedly visible in the face of the dam embankment from around midnight. The dam operators apparently sounded a warning siren shortly before the dam failed. A surge of water and debris several metres high was sent into the town of Cirendeu, washing away cars, houses and a brick-built bridge. The flood hit while most of the population was asleep and left standing water up to 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) deep. Many people were trapped in the town, many townspeople took to their rooftops to avoid the floodwaters. The flood killed 98 people, and 5 more were unaccounted for. The waters also inundated around 400 homes of which 250 were damaged or destroyed, displacing 171 people. The flood submerged five power terminals cutting drinking water supplies to the nearby suburb of Lebak Bulus
Cilandak
Cilandak is a subdistrict of South Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. Krukut River flows through the eastern edge of Cilandak, while Pesanggrahan and Grogol River flow through the western edge of Cilandak....
.
The government of Indonesia evacuated people to higher ground at a nearby university campus. The Indonesian Army
Indonesian Army
The Indonesian Army , the land component of the Indonesian Armed Forces, has an estimated strength of 328,517 regular personnel. The force's history began in 1945 when the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat "Civil Security Forces" served as paramilitary and police.Since the nation's independence struggle,...
was brought in to rescue survivors and to move dead bodies to a nearby makeshift morgue. The site of the disaster has been visited by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
, Vice-President Yusuf Kalla and Welfare Minister Aburizal Bakrie
Aburizal Bakrie
In this Indonesian name, the name "Bakrie" is a family name, and the person should be referred to by the family name "Bakrie".Aburizal Bakrie is an Indonesian entrepreneur and politician.- Family business :...
and the government stated that it would pay for repairs to houses damaged by the flood. Emergency repairs to the dam structure are underway and the government has begun inspections of similar dam structures. President Yudhoyono promised that the cause of the disaster would be investigated, and any dam staff found to have been negligent in their duties would face court charges. Six officials have since been cited for negligence by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment.
According to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
the area has "an ageing, poorly maintained drainage system which struggles to cope with heavy rainfall". Floods in 2007
2007 Jakarta flood
The 2007 Jakarta flood was a major flood in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia and affected several other areas around the city, such as West Java and Banten. The flood, beginning on February 2, 2007 was a result of heavy rain, deforestation in areas south of the city, and waterways clogged with...
in the nearby capital Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
killed more than 50 people. Yudhoyono has vowed to rebuild the dam "in a proper way so that it will not cause any further public concern".