Kathmandu. A landslide in the village of Pasirlangu in West Java on the morning of January 24 was one of the deadliest for Indonesia in recent years. More than 50 houses and a military training base were completely buried by the mudslides caused by heavy rains. So far, 64 people have been confirmed dead and 16 are still missing. This has made it a major national tragedy.
One of the tragic aspects of this tragedy is the untimely death of 23 naval personnel. The soldiers, who were in field training for the Border Patrol, were buried in the landslide. This has raised serious questions about the location selection of military training centers and geographical risk assessment. More than 650 displaced people are taking shelter in makeshift camps, while rescue teams are still searching for those missing under the mud six meters deep.
Scientific research has shown that these landslides are not just natural disasters but are the result of wrong development models and land use. Decades of deforestation and unplanned vegetable farming on steep slopes had undermined the natural stability of the hills. Experts believe that the soil has lost its balance due to heavy rains due to the erosion of the deep roots of the trees and the loose soil of the surface.
Though more than 3,600 personnel have been deployed for the rescue operation, incessant rain and the risk of second landslide have added to the challenges. Ironically, while the rescue agency is asking for more time and resources to search for the disappearance, parliament has cut the budget for the agency. This has cast great doubt on the state’s preparedness and priorities for disaster management in the era of climate change.
This incident of Pasirlangu has sent a stern warning to mountainous countries like Nepal. Deforestation, unsystematic agriculture, and road construction are posing similar risks in the hilly areas of Nepal. If the scientific land use policy is not implemented in time and the disaster management mechanism is weakened financially, we will have to face such huge human losses in the future.
