The wind and waves have been unfriendly since the afternoon of December 24, 2022. Residents on the coast of Pondok Perasi, Bintaro Village, Ampenan District, Mataram City, NTB have moved their valuables. Residents whose houses are closest to the beach feel that the waves will get more violent at night. The night before, the sound of the waves sounded like a rumbling earthquake. Scary. The kids are scared.
Samsudin, who has lived on the coast for decades, feels calm. Rising sea water inland is common. Understandably their home on the coast. Even though some of his neighbors had moved, Samsudin chose to stay because he thought that if the weather conditions were bad, waves would enter the house, he would have a chance to save his boat.
Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds at night intensified. Strong winds collided with the sound of increasingly rumbling waves. Feels like the earth is shaking. Like an earthquake. Now, Samsudin does not dare to leave the house. He always looked at the back of his house. Checking the sea water, whether it has started to enter or is it still far away. Samsudin was fast asleep.
He was awakened by the commotion of his neighbours. Samsudin heard the sound of the waves, not far away, but as if they were behind his house. The neighbors shouted for Samsudin to move immediately. He refused, the boat engine was still at home. He was worried that the boat’s engine was damaged or lost.
“If machines can be bought again, lives can’t be,” shouted his neighbor. Samsudin melts. He raised the engine position of his boat, left the house and fled to a relative’s house. Samsudin’s choice was right.
A few hours after he evacuated, waves washed over the coastline along the coast of Mapak Indah, Sekarbela District to Pondok Perasi, Ampenan District. Part of the wall of Samsudin’s house collapsed, leaving only half of the house. Sea water does not enter the house. But big waves, with great power, hit people’s houses along the coast. The house is no longer flooded, but collapsed.
Around Samsudin village, at least 16 houses were badly damaged. His house is one of the worst. Not safe to live in. The house of Inaq Rakmah, Samsudin’s neighbor was also badly damaged. Remains of tile floors that once showed it was part of the house. The rest, the wall has been washed away by sea water. On Sunday morning, some relatives helped him clean the house where only half of it was left.
“The waves are as fierce as this, in the past, water often got in. Now it immediately collapses, like an earthquake,”he said.
From the direction of Segara Pondok Perasi Temple, up to 600 meters to the south, boats piled up in front of residents’ houses. Cover the access road. There is even a boat that is put on the terrace of the house. The fishermen open the kekantir (balancing beams on the left and right) to make it easier to move the boat. The yard of the house is like a boat evacuation site. There is even a part of the boat body put into the house. Access roads that are usually passed by vehicles are covered by boats.
Worst Happening Throughout 10 Years
Husni and Mashur sat down to discuss plans to relocate the residents of Mapak Indah, Jempong Baru Village, Sekarbela District, Mataram City. On the night of December 25 2022, the Governor of NTB Zulkieflimansyah visited them, after the big wave incident that knocked down residents’ houses.
The second house is one of the worst. Half of the house collapsed. The remaining walls are no longer safe to live in.
“Agreed 100 percent, if necessary, now we are asked to move, now we will move,” Husni said when I asked them if they were willing to move, December 26, 2022.
“The place offered by the governor is also close to the sea. We can find fish. If it’s far away, we’ll have trouble later,” continued Mashur.
When observing residents in Mapak Indah, the Governor of NTB conveyed that the solution for residents who were victims of the rob was relocation. The position of their house is very close to the coast. All year round, during a big swell they get flooded. In conditions of strong winds and increasingly violent waves, it can threaten them. It was proven that tens of houses on the coast of Ampenan to Mapak Indah were collapsed by the waves. In addition to damaging the house, the waves also dragged the contents of the house. Disappeared under sea water.
“Now we are still taking refuge in the mosque, some of the items that were saved we put in the grave,” said Husni.
According to Husni, the fishermen who live on the coast, those who are regulars of the rob actually don’t refuse to be moved. It’s just that the location proposed for relocation is sometimes far from the coast. While their work goes to sea. Their boat is on the coast. Their ship’s engines, their most valuable cargo cannot be left on the coast.
“Our hope is that we are not far from the sea. This is only my job,” said Husni.
Weather conditions from Christmas to New Year 2023 have been predicted by the BMKG Zainuddin Abdul Majid Meteorological Station. All areas in West Nusa Tenggara have the potential to increase rain intensity accompanied by lightning and strong winds. BMKG also released wave heights of 2.5 – 4 meters in the waters of the southern Lombok Strait, southern Alas Strait and southern Sape Strait. The remaining 4-6 meter wave category occurred in the Indian Ocean south of West Nusa Tenggara. As a result of these wave conditions, there was a closure of Sheet Harbor, a port in West Lombok which serves crossings to Bali Island. In addition, there were many incidents of residents’ houses on the southern coast of Lombok Island being damaged by the waves.
According to residents at Pondok Perasi Ampenan, Mapak Indah Sekarbela, this year’s weather conditions were the worst in the last 10 years. Residents are used to dealing with high waves, heavy rain, and strong winds. But so far it has never damaged people’s homes. Sea water that rises to settlements has become a regular occurrence.
“If you count these 10 years, sir, this is the worst. Until the residents’ houses were damaged,” said Mashur.
Besides this year’s most violent conditions, this year’s weather conditions are also the most uncertain. In previous years fishermen usually memorized at the end of the year and the beginning of the year bad weather conditions and they did not go to sea. This year, when it should be the peak of the dry season, it actually rained heavily. Even to the point of causing flooding.
“If we count until now, I haven’t gone to sea for 5 months,” said Husni.
“In fact, it could be six months,” continued Mashur.
This condition worsened their economic situation. They lost their homes which were damaged by the rob disaster. They cannot go to sea for a living. They also don’t have enough savings because they haven’t gone to sea for a long time.
“I don’t have the capital to repair the house, it’s hard to even eat now,” said Husni.
NTB Provincial Government Attempts Relocation
Head of the NTB Social Service Ahsanul Khalik said the provincial government had met directly with Mapak Indah residents. During the governor’s working visit, an offer for relocation was also conveyed. Communities who are victims agree to relocate the issue as long as it is not far from the coast.
In the vicinity of Mapak Indah, the NTB Provincial Government owns 70 acres of land. 20 acres are currently being used for turtle conservation activities managed by the local community. The remaining 50 acres are managed by the NTB Social Service. Of the remaining 50 acres, not all of them will be used for relocation, it will be adjusted according to needs. It is likely that around 20 acres will be used.
Currently the NTB Social Service is processing the administration. There must be approval from the Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD). In addition, the Social Service also takes care of all administration so there are no problems in the future.
“So you can’t immediately relocate right now,” said the man who is familiarly called Bang Aka.
Bang Aka confirmed this because of rumors in the community that they were immediately relocated. The house was built on land owned by the NTB Provincial Government. In the context of government policy, when a citizen becomes a victim, it is the government’s obligation to help the community. Relocation is a policy that must be adopted by all governments when victims become victims of a disaster.
“This is not a promise but this is a policy. This is not lip service , but this is naturally the government’s responsibility,” said the man who was once the head of the Mataram City Social Service and the Head of the NTB BPBD.