Musirawas Utara, KOTABARI.COM – A devastating flash flood that occurred in the Karang Jaya District, North Musi Rawas Utara (Muratara), on April 16, 2024, has resulted in the destruction of several bridges, including a large concrete bridge commonly used by vehicles in Sukamenang Village, Karang Jaya District.
The powerful force of the floodwaters swept away the concrete bridge, rendering it unusable. Consequently, local residents have improvised water transportation methods for vehicle crossings.
Residents have modified several traditional wooden boats, known as “perahu getek,” arranging them in a row to accommodate four-wheeled vehicles. “We arranged five boats so they could carry vehicles across,” said a resident contacted by TribunSumsel.com from Muara Rupit on Sunday (4/21/2024).
One of the four-wheeled vehicles crossing the river using the linked boats is an ambulance owned by the Rantau Telang Village Government, Karang Jaya District.
As a result of the destruction of the permanent concrete bridge in Sukamenang Village, two villages, namely Rantau Telang and Tanjung Agung, have been isolated. The bridge served as the sole land access for residents to reach these two villages. Moreover, a significant portion of Sukamenang Village’s population resides across the bridge.
With the bridge destroyed, residents are once again reliant on river access for their daily activities. They hope that a new concrete bridge will be constructed at a higher elevation to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“Many vehicles belonging to residents are still stranded across the river because the bridge is broken, so they can’t cross. That’s why the residents took the initiative to create these linked boats for vehicle crossings,” one resident explained.
For your information, the cost of renting the linked boat transportation for vehicle crossings ranges from Rp 1 million to Rp 1.5 million per vehicle.