An Indonesian man salvages materials from a flood-damaged house Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008 in Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia. Indonesia's annual rainy season floods inundated the town of Pasuruan damaging homes, and displacing residents. (INDRA HARSAPUTRA)
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An Indonesian man eating 'nasi bungkus' after searches his belonging in front of his damaged house after his village was hit by heavy flooding in Pasuruan, East Java, 31 January 2008. Three people have been killed and more than a dozen injured in floods in Indonesia's densely-populated East Java province following heavy rains. (INDRA HARSAPUTRA)
Soeharto Dead
Caption
Indonesian soldiers carry the coffin of Suharto during the funeral at Astana Giribangun cemetary in Tawang Mangu, 28 January 2008. Former Indonesian president Suharto was laid to rest with full military honours on 28 January, ending a controversial chapter in the history of the nation he ruled with an iron fist for 32 years. The ex-dictator, whose rule became a byword for rampant corruption and rights abuses despite huge economic progress, was buried in his family mausoleum in the town of Matesih in a state funeral (INDRA HARSAPUTRA)
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Soeharto suffers multiple organ failure: Doctors
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Former president Soeharto has suffered multiple organ failure and has been placed on a ventilator, it was announced Friday evening.
Mardjo Soebiandono, chief of the presidential medical team, said the 86-year-old Soeharto suffered multiple organ failure and was placed on a ventilator after his breathing became fast and shallow.
Earlier, the doctors said that there were signs of infection in his lungs.
"His condition is deteriorating," said Ismoyo, a cardiologist on the team. "It's worse than it was this morning."
Earlier in the day, the Soeharto family said they were focusing on doing everything possible for the health of the critically ill former president.
"We are concentrating on getting father's health back. We haven't even thought about all that legal stuff," Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra told reporters while visiting his father at Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta on Friday afternoon.
Just three hours earlier, dozens of relatives of people who went missing, or were killed or imprisoned during Soeharto's 32-year regime, stood outside the hospital lobby entrance taking turns reading what they called a "Prayer for Soeharto".
"We do hope he gets well soon despite all the things he did," said Suciwati, the wife of assassinated human rights activist Munir Said Thalib. "This is a humane thing despite all the crimes he has committed."
"For the sake of humanitarianism, many people have told us that we should let go of Soeharto and grant him peace in his old age," said the mother of Bernardinus "Wawan" Realino Norma Irawan, an Atma Jaya University student who was among 12 others killed by army bullets during a student rally in 1998, the year that Soeharto stepped down in the midst of a massive uprising and public disorder nationwide.
"However, for the families of human rights violation victims, humanitarianism means the enforcement of truth and justice, and this means that Soeharto still has to face the charges regardless of his condition," said 55-year-old Sumarsih.
Sumarsih and dozens of other members of Solidarity for Families of Victims of Human Rights Violations recited a long list of charges, including the 1965 massacre of communists, a series of unsolved shootings from 1981 to 1985, the 1984 Tanjung Priok massacre, 1989 Talangsari Islami sect murders, the Aceh and Papua conflicts and May 1998 riots.
Meanwhile, former People's Consultative Assembly speaker Amien Rais urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to immediately clarify Soeharto's legal status.
"We and the nation are left in uncertainty about what will happen next. And I am sure that is the case with Pak Harto as well," said Amien after attending a meeting with the West Sumatra chapter of the National Mandate Party in Padang on Friday.
Amien said Yudhoyono should immediately make a decision to end the situation.
"An 86-year-old person is very fragile. We who are healthy people should think rationally and help resolve the problem," he said.
"People are already tired of the arguments from legal experts about what we should do. We need a breakthrough."
Soeharto was rushed to Pertamina Hospital on Friday, Jan. 4, due to a severe edema and anemia. His condition remains critical after eight days of intensive treatment.
Mysterious message starts row
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
As former president Soeharto lies ill in hospital, politicians and political experts are trying to decipher a message he reportedly sent to Megawati Soekarnoputri instructing her to "take care of the nation".
"I think it's all right for Soeharto to entrust Megawati to continue taking care of this country," former Jakarta governor Sutiyoso said as quoted by detik.com news portal on Friday. "It's natural for him to ask Megawati to do so, especially since he was formerly president of Indonesia."
Sutiyoso said the 2009 presidential election would be a direct presidential election by the Indonesian people, and "they are smart enough to elect their president by their own choice, not by somebody's words."
Lukman Hakim Saefuddin, chairman for the United Development Party faction at the House of Representatives, said: "I believe that Soeharto understands well that the country has a constitution, which regulates the procedure of presidential elections."
Soeharto sent the message through Megawati's husband, Taufiq Kiemas, in early December, a month before Soeharto was hospitalized. The contents of the message was recently revealed by Pramono Anung Wibowo, secretary general of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.
"He just wanted to make sure that this country will be taken care of by the whole nation, not just by individuals," said Lukman.
Arbi Sanit, a political observer from the University of Indonesia, also said the bottom line was that Soeharto had shown concern about the country and the leadership qualities of the people who had held the presidential post after he resigned.
"Soeharto knows that we haven't found a leader who has the ability to lead this country well," he said.
"No one has been found who has been able to lead like him. He was very good in leading, but unfortunately was not good at being democratic," he added.
However, former chairman of the Golkar Party Akbar Tandjung, said that it was impossible that Soeharto would send such a message to Megawati.
"I don't believe what is being said about Soeharto sending a message to Megawati about continuing to take care of this country, as he surely knows that the country has a constitution," Akbar said.
Deputy secretary-general of the Golkar Party Rully Chairul Azwar also expressed doubts.
"He might have just been lending moral support or paying lip service to her efforts at conducting a presidential campaign," Rully told The Jakarta Post by phone.
"I don't know exactly what was in his mind. It's OK for Soeharto to support anyone. In the end, the Indonesian people will be the ones who decide on their next president," he added.
The 86-year-old Soeharto, who led the country for 32 years, has been in a critical condition since he was admitted to Pertamina Central Hospital, South Jakarta last Friday due to severe edema and anemia
Bali group calling for guarantees of religious freedom
The Jakarta Post, Denpasar
An alliance of Bali's pro-democracy organizations and religious rights defenders came to the province's prosecutors office Tuesday to urge the agency to be consistent in implementing the 1945 Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom.
"We hope the attorneys will no longer prosecute or ban religious groups based on the edicts of a certain organization," the alliance's coordinator, Wayan Sayoga, said.
The rally was part of a nationwide movement that arose from the concern that intolerance was gaining momentum, and that the government supported the violence incited against certain groups considered "heretic" and the arrests and trials of their members.
Men and women carrying banners reading; "Stop Judging People's Beliefs", stormed the prosecutors office accompanied by a choir singing traditional songs about religious and cultural diversity in Indonesia.
"Diversity should unite, not split, us," a protester said.
Similar rallies took place in Jakarta on Monday, with activists calling for the Attorney's General Office (AGO) to not ban the Ahmadiyah group, a minority group of Muslims who believe Prophet Muhammad was not Islam's last prophet.
Since the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) declared the group had strayed from "true" Islam in 2005, Ahmadiyah followers have frequently become victims of persecution and violence.
The AGO is said to have been listing groups deemed "deviant" by Muslim clerics, who say the groups should be banned.
Although most faith-related incidents and cases brought to the court were still confined to the domain of Islam, the largest faith in the country, the partiality of the authorities and weak law enforcement indicate a problem with one faith could spell a problem for all faiths, Sayoga said.
"What happens in Jakarta and even Pakistan, or anywhere else, could affect the lives of people here in Bali.
"We are not condemning the growing intolerance within a certain religion. We are just saying if the government fails to ensure religious freedom, it would be like setting a time bomb," he said.
Almost ninety percent of Bali's population follow the Hindu faith and Bali is the only predominantly Hindu island in the predominantly Muslim archipelago.
As a resort island, Bali has attempted to maintain its uniqueness and authenticity as a Hindu island and adapt itself to the swelling number of Muslim migrants and Western expatriates.
"We will suffer the worse if the government fails to retain the value of diversity," he said.
Balinese intellectuals and artists were among those who in 2006 and 2007 strongly protest the deliberation of the sharia-inspired anti-pornography bill, which they said would undermine freedom of expression and cultural diversity.
The organizations participating in Tuesday's rally were, among others, the Indonesian Hindu Dharma Association, the Bali Legal Aid Institute, the Indonesian Catholic Students Association and the Indonesian Nationalist Students Association. The only Islamic organizations participating were the controversial Ahmadiyah group and the Indonesian Ahlul Bait Community.
The Ahlul Bait Community is an organization of Shia followers. Shia is second-largest Islamic denomination after Sunni, which is followed by most Indonesian Muslims.
Nadhlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, the country's two largest Islamic organizations that promote religious moderation in the social and political spheres, are not part of the national alliance.
Former leader can still hold the media in thrall
The Jakarta Post : It is almost 10 years since Soeharto stepped down as president of Indonesia, but he seems to have lost little of his pulling power, if the attention the media has paid to his stints at Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta are anything to go by.
Since he was rushed to hospital Friday with anemia and a sever edema, he has been monitored around the clock by doctors and hordes of journalists.
On Tuesday evening the hospital's lobby was packed solid with reporters sitting on anything they could find -- even the floor -- some chatting while others were attempting to snatch a few minutes of sleep.
"I've been here since the first day eyang (grandpa) was hospitalized," said one of the reporters.
They have been joined by a flood of important visitors, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice President Jusuf Kalla and various government ministers.
Buckets of flowers sent by colleagues, friends and businessmen line the hospitals first floor. Far too many have been sent to fit in Soeharto's room on the fifth floor.
An endless debate on his legal status has run alongside that about his health, keeping the journalists glued to the hospital, even when their stomachs start to rumble.
"I'm starving but I'm afraid that if I leave this place I will lose a scoop," said one reporter, to nods of agreement from the others.
At around lunchtime, the security guards take pity on them and bring food from a restaurant around the corner, promising to bring some snacks in the afternoon.
Separately, secretary general of the Alliance of Independent Journalists Abdul Manan said that in general journalists should not accept any gift, no matter how small.
"We should see whether the meals are provided because we are journalists or not," he told The Jakarta Post over the phone.
"It is OK if the meals are provided not only to the journalists."
Luckily for the journalists nesting in the hospital lobby, other guests and some of the hospital's security guards were also tucking in. (Irawaty Wardany)
Soeharto being kept alive by machines, still conscious
JAKARTA (AP): Former Indonesian president Soeharto wasconscious, but being kept alive by machines and breathing with difficulty Thursday, doctors said, a week after he was hospitalized in critical condition.
Fluids are building up in the 86-year-old's lungs, but there are no immediate plans to put him on a respirator and no signs of pneumonia, said Marjo Subiandono, the chief presidential doctor.
Soeharto's blood pressure and hemoglobin levels have returned to normal, but his kidneys are still failing, Subiandono said.
Soeharto, whose regime was widely regarded as one of most corrupt and brutal of the 20th century, has been in and out of the hospital since he was chased from office at the height of the 1997-98 financial crisis.
A series of strokes have left him with permanent brain damage and impaired speech, helping keep him from facing charges of human rights abuses and embezzlement of state funds during his 32-year reign.
Soeharto was rushed to Pertamina Hospital last Friday, where he was diagnosed with anemia and a dangerously low heart rate.
Soeharto's health deteriorates, with signs of internal bleeding
JAKARTA(AP): Former Indonesian President Soeharto's health deteriorated Tuesday, with signs of internal bleeding and fluid building up in his lungs, the chief presidential doctor said.
Soeharto, 86, was suffering from anemia, a dangerously low heart rate and swollen internal organs when he was admitted to Pertamina Hospital in critical condition Friday. He responded well to a blood transfusion and dialysis treatment, but on Tuesday his condition deteriorated, Dr. Subiandono told a news conference.
"Traces of blood were found in his urine and feces," an indication of internal bleeding, he said. "Excess liquid in his lungs is also increasing" and could lead to respiratory problems, Subiandono said
Kemiskinan Masyarakat Faktor Penyebab Bengawan Solo Meluap
Potret kemiskinan masyarakat di sepanjang sungai Bengawan Solo merupakan salah satu penyebab utama terjadinya banjir luapan sungai Bengawan Solo yang membentang 600 kilometer persegi mulai dari desa Jeblongan Kecamatan Karangtengah Kabupaten Wonogiri Jateng hingga desa Ujung Pangkah Kabupaten Gresik Jatim.
Story by Indra Harsaputra
Bertani merupakan pekerjaan utama Samiun (50), warga desa Trucuk Kecamatan Trucuk Kabupaten Bojonegoro, secara turun temurun. Selama ini, sungai Bengawan Solo banyak mendatangkan rejeki bagi pengairan sawahnya. Setiap tahun, hasil panennya melimpah karena benih padi yang ditanamnya sekitar 5 meter dari sungai tumbuh dengan subur.
Banjir memang sangat akrab bagi Samiun bila musim hujan tiba. Namun, kali ini Samiun tidak pernah menyangka bila sungai Bengawan Solo kini berubah menjadi petaka hebat yang menenggelamkan ribuan rumah penduduk, harta benda, sawah dan tambak di 11 Kota/Kabupaten di sepanjang sungai itu. Padahal seumur hidupnya, belum pernah terjadi bencana banjir sedasyat itu.
Berdasarkan data dari Satuan Penanggulangan Bencana, akibat banjir luapan sungai Bengawan Solo, lebih dari 80.000 rumah di kedua propinsi itu tenggelam dan lebih dari 70 ribu warga tinggal di pengungsian. Selain rumah, ribuan lahan pertanian dan tambak terendam air. Banyak warga yang kehilangan pekerjaan. Sementara kerugian ditaksir kurang lebih Rp 460 miliar.
"Biasanya kalau banjir paling sebatas sebatas lutut saja dan cepat surut. Namun kini banjir lebih dari 2 meter dan menenggalamkan rumah dan sawah saya. Saat ini, banjir tak surut juga membuat panen padi gagal, " katanya.
"Tetapi saya masih beruntung bisa selamat, " katanya.
Samiun tidak tahu bagaimana kelanjutan hidup keluarganya setelah banjir ini surut. Ia tidak punya simpanan di bank, juga asuransi. Banjir akibat luapan sungai Bengawan Solo yang terjadi sejak 26 Desember sampai saat ini yang masih menggenangi desanya membuatnya semakin jatuh miskin.
"Saya tidak tahu besok saya harus makan apa, seluruh kekayaan saya ludes. Sementara harga bahan pokok di Bojonegoro mulai naik drastis, " katanya.
Harga telur misalnya, dari harga normal sebesar Rp 9000,- naik menjadi Rp 14.000,- per kilogramnya. Harga tempe yang harga sebelum banjir sebesar Rp 1.500,- naik jadi Rp 4000,- per bungkusnya. Demikian juga harga beras, minyak tanah dan beberapa kebutuhan lainnya.
Di kala panen melimpah, bukan berarti Samiun hidup berkecukupan. Harga jual panen tidaklah sebanding dengan mahalnya kebutuhan hidup. Untuk mencukupi kebutuhan ia membuka lahan untuk ditanami pisang dan singkong. Lahan yang semula memang digunakan sebagai lahan resapan kini pun ditumbuhi pisang dan singkong. Beberapa masyarakat lain pun sama dengan yang dilakukan Samiun.
Samiun tidak pernah mengerti bahaya yang terjadi apabila lahan resapan dialihfungsikan. Ia hanya berpikir perut dan kecukupan nafkah. Padahal, dengan perubahan alih fungsi itulah yang membuat sungai Bengawan Solo meluap saat hujan deras.
"Bencana ini bukanlah kesalahan alam maupun manusia. Melainkan ini sudah takdir dan kami harus menerimanya dengan ikhlas, " kata Samiun yang sejak awal banjir tiba sampai sekarang menolak diungsikan. 
Tim Ahli Khusus Penanganan Sungai Bengawan Solo Institut Tehnologi 10 November Surabaya (ITS), Umboro Lasminto mengatakan penyebab luapan sungai Bengawan Solo, selain karena curah hujan tinggi itu, juga dikarenakan ketidaktahuan masyarakat dalam mengelola kawasan sungai Bengawan Solo. Banyak masyarakat di sepanjang sungai Bengawan Solo yang mengalihfungsikan lahan resapan menjadi lahan produktif.
"Sehingga saat hujan turun dengan deras, air tidak dapat tertampung dalam lahan resapan itu, " katanya.
Di Widang Tuban, misalnya, sekitar 5 hektar lahan resapan air saat banjir yang telah disiapkan oleh pemerintah kini berubah menjadi pemukiman dan lahan produktif. Akibatnya, di daerah itu sampai kini, masih tenggelam oleh banjir karena air yang sulit meresap mengalir deras sehingga menjebol tanggul.
"Sampai saat ini, pihak pemerintah belum bisa melakukan penambalan tanggul yang jebol karena derasnya air. Bahkan di Widang, saat ini muncul semacam anak sungai karena derasnya air mengkikis daratan, " katanya.
Pengalih fungsian itu juga menjadi penyebab rusaknya Daerah Aliran Sungai (DAS) Bengawan Solo.
Dalam penelitian yang berjudul Laporan Studi Ekologi pada Ekspedisi Bengawan Solo Kompas 2007, Ahli Ekologi dan Mikrobiologi Universitas 11 Maret Surakarta Retno Rosariastuti dalam Kompas, 8 Januari 2008 menyatakan ketebalan tanah sepanjang DAS Bengawan Solo tergolong rendah. Syarat ketebalan tanah yang diperlukan untuk menahan air dan penghijauan tanaman keras sekitar 70 centimeter. Namun, riset menemukan kedalaman kurang dari 20 centimeter.
Umboro mengatakan banjir akibat luapan sungai Bengawan Solo juga dikarenakan banyaknya warga yang tinggal di pemukiman di dalam tanggul. Mereka membuat doorlat (pintu tanggul) sebagai akses jalan keluar dari dalam tanggul. Saat banjir tiba, masyarakat telah menutup doorlat dengan kayu, namun jebol karena penutup itu tidak kuat menahan derasnya banjir.
"Sand bag yang seharusnya disediakan oleh pemerintah untuk memperkuat penutupan doorlat juga tidak tersedia. Sehingga air sungai pun meluap masuk ke dalam perkotaan, " katanya.
Selain itu, lanjut Umboro, proyek pembuatan tanggul sepanjang 26 kilometer dari Babat Lamongan hingga Tuban juga belum selesai karena masalah pembebasan lahan masyarakat.
"Sebenarnya, pihak Jasa Tirta sebagai pengelola sungai Bengawan Solo sudah memperkirakan banjir luapan sungai Bengawan Solo akan merembet sampai beberapa deerah di Jatim dimana semakin ke Gresik permukaan semakin rendah. Namun, langkah antisipasi luapan sungai Bengawan Solo sulit dilakukan karena kendala teknis, " katanya. 
Hardjono (45), warga desa Sembungrejo Tuban, tidak pernah diberitahukan sebelumnya soal antisipasi banjir oleh pemerintah. Bahkan, pemerintah juga belum pernah mengeluarkan himbauan untuk mengungsi jika memang pihak Jasa Tirta seperti yang dikatakan oleh Umboro telah memprediksi luapan sungai Bengawan Solo di daerahnya.
Saat ini, Hardjono bersama ratusan warga desa beramai-ramai membuat tanggul. Padahal, menurut ahli dari ITS, sebelum berhasil membendung air di Widang Tuban, banjir akan tetap meluas ke daerah itu. Termasuk desa Hardjono.
Sosilog Pedesaan Universitas Airlangga Surabaya, Bagong Suyanto, mengatakan tipikal masyarakat di bantaran sungai, termasuk sungai Bengawan Solo sama dengan masyarakat pegunungan. Masyarakat di sepanjang sungai Bengawan Solo merupakan masyarakat yang termarjinalkan dan miskin, baik secara ekonomi maupun informasi. Mereka percaya bencana merupakan takdir.
"Mereka tidak mempunyai akses informasi tentang bahaya yang dihadapi karena memang pemerintah jarang memberikan penyuluhan. Cara hidup mereka adalah mempertahankan daerah lokalnya saja, sedangkan bahaya di luar daerahnya kurang diperhatikan, " katanya.
"Mereka menjebol tanggul hanyalah karena agar desanya tidak terendam air. Tetapi justru ketika ia menjebol tanggul masyarakat lain akan terkena imbasnya, " katanya.
"Semua ini dilakukan masyarakat hanya karena satu hal yaitu kekurangtahuan mereka yang hidup bertahun-tahun di daerah miskin dan terisolasi, " lanjut Bagong.
Pertanyaannya, siapakah yang harus bertanggung jawab atas kemiskinan itu......?
Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono dan Wakil Presiden Jusuf Kalla menyatakan perlunya penyelamatan fundamental penyelamatan DAS sungai Bengawan Solo.
Namun, siapakah yang pantas diselamatkan terlebih dahulu, Pak ?
Pemerintah Jatim pun berencana akan mengganti rugi rumah korban banjir luapan sungai Bengawan Solo yang hancur.
Semoga saja itu akan menyelesaikan masalah kemiskinan ?
Kalau tidak, semoga saja ada takdir lain yang membawa Indonesia ke arah yang lebih cerdas.
No need to continue legal process against Soeharto: House Speaker
YOGYAKARTA (Antara): House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono said there was no need to continue the legal process against ailing former President Soeharto for "humanitarian reasons."
Agung made the statement after handing tree seeds for reforestation to 13 campuses on Saturday.
"Since he has repeatedly fallen ill and been hospitalized several times, the legal process (for corruption) against Soeharto should not be continued for humanitarian reasons," Agung said.
Soeharto was in 2000 prosecuted in a multimillion dollar corruption case but based on a recommendation from a presidential team of doctors, the court declared him too ill to stand trial.
After 32 years in power, the former strongman was forced to step down in 1998 in the face of mass protests but many believed his cronies were still exerting an influence to prevent him from being brought to justice.
Soeharto's health deteriorates, with signs of internal bleeding
JAKARTA(AP): Former Indonesian POresident Soeharto's health deteriorated Tuesday, with signs of internal bleeding and fluid building up in his lungs, the chief presidential doctor said.
Soeharto, 86, was suffering from anemia, a dangerously low heart rate and swollen internal organs when he was admitted to Pertamina Hospital in critical condition Friday. He responded well to a blood transfusion and dialysis treatment, but on Tuesday his condition deteriorated, Dr. Subiandono told a news conference.
"Traces of blood were found in his urine and feces," an indication of internal bleeding, he said. "Excess liquid in his lungs is also increasing" and could lead to respiratory problems, Subiandono said
TPI Juga Buka Lowongan Loh...
Redaksi TPI membutuhkan:
Presenter merangkap Reporter
Pria wanita
usia max 24 tahun
Sarjana s-1 segala jurusan
Belum menikah
Mampu berbahasa inggris aktif
Siap bekerja dalam shift
Minat terhadap dunia jurnalistik
Kirim lamaran & CV, disertai:
- foto close up ukuran post card
- foto seluruh badan ukuran post card
ke
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cantumkan: Lamaran Reporter/Presenter
Lamaran diterima Maximal 27 Januari 2008
TPI MAKIN ASYIK AJA......... ......... ......... .....
Surabayans told to activate email accounts by mid year
Indra Harsaputra
he Jakarta Post/ Surabaya
The Surabaya municipality has announced all persons over the age of 17 must have an email address to apply for identity cards by the middle of the year, as part of the city's aim to become the first multimedia city in Indonesia.
Surabaya Mayor Bambang Dwi Hartono said the insertion of an email address on an identity card was aimed at facilitating the demographic data process, as 90 percent of the city's total population of about 2.7 million have ID cards.
"The new program is just in front of our eyes and the Information Technology and Communications Management Center in Surabaya (BPTIK) is developing it thoroughly now. It is expected to facilitate the ID card issuance process," said Bambang, after signing an agreement on Surabaya's development as a multimedia city with PT Telkom state telecommunications company at Surabaya City Hall recently.
Bambang said the program would also expedite releasing information to residents, such as in the event of disasters floods in the city.
"On top of that, people can also send criticisms and suggestions to the government by e-mail," he added.
Bambang said the administration also planned to produce an ID card which could be used for transactions, similar to an ATM card.
He added the program was also expected to improve people's welfare and alleviate poverty in the city by encouraging those in the lower income brackets to learn to use the Internet as a means to expand their trades.
BPTIK head Najib Usman said only those who had email addresses could include them on their ID cards when the program commenced in the middle of the year, while others would be provided with lessons on using the Internet and email.
"We hope residents, regardless of their income brackets in Surabaya, will be well versed in the Internet. The administration will also subsidize Internet expenses when the free trial contract with Telkom expires, so city residents can still benefit from the Internet cheaply," he said.
Najib said he is confident the program will run smoothly and that using the Internet will be as common as using a mobile phone.
The municipality has established wi-fi networks in a number of areas in the city, such as in Taman Bungkul on Jl. Darmo and Taman Prestasi in Ngagel district.
Internet users can make use of the facilities for free because PT Telkom, an internet service provider, has exempted fees during the trial period, which will last until March.
Communications and Information Minister Muhammad Nuh, also former rector of the 10th November Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS), said PT Telkom had since November last year installed 33 wi-fi hotspot areas in each city square across the province.
Thanks to a number of companies involved in the corporate social responsibility program, the public can use them for free.
"We hope the whole people of East Java will become well versed in the internet in 2008, and become the first e-province in Indonesia," said Nuh.
Head of the ITS Disaster Study Center Amien Widodo said he hoped people living in disaster-prone areas could benefit from the program.
"We are currently developing a program which could spread information on the risk of natural disasters to residents. This program can be posted via email or text messages," said Nuh.
To educate residents on the Internet, the administration has set up multimedia training centers to provide free lessons to low income people, such as the one in Bojonegoro, built by hardware and software company Microsoft.
There, many have successfully developed their agricultural products and improved their livelihoods after being able to use the internet to find information on their work.
A similar facility is available in the Rungkut residential area in Surabaya
Javanese are rich in luck in the floods
Story By Godeliva D Sari
Photo Indra Harsaputra
The Javanese see themselves as always looking on the bright side of events, saying that they are lucky, even in misfortune. For example, if in a traffic accident a whole family is wiped out, a typical Javanese response would be: "Lucky they all died together, imagine if a child survived but was badly crippled!" 
So, when the rain continued on Dec. 26, through the day and the night, it was inevitable that there would be floods, but being Javanese the people in the flooded areas would still be smiling.
The Bengawan Solo river burst its banks and in some places the water reached the roofs of the houses. Pak Sriyono of Widodaren Lor village is in his 40s and his house was nearly submerged but still he smiled. He was worried about his pet song bird, which was in a cage in the house -- not wet, but without food.
"I'm lucky the bird can't sing yet! If it could already sing and mimic other birds I would be losing some money!" he said.
The Bengawan Solo has been the main artery of Java since pre-history. The remains of Pithecanthropus erectus were found by the banks of this river in the village of Trinil in Ngawi regency, proving that these fertile lands have supported life since long ago.
An old keroncong song by the Solonese musician, Gesang, tells us that when the Bengawan Solo floods the waters cover large areas. The regent of Ngawi thinks this year's flood is the biggest yet in this area's memory. Every local knows why these floods are happening on this scale and expects worse in the future.
In the last decade, this region has witnessed all its forests, thousands of hectares of teak, being chopped down. The new saplings planted are still too young to hold much water. In true Javanese fashion, it is said that we are lucky to have these floods and landslides, because now we know that if it rains for 24 hours or so, we will probably have more of the same.
We all know that every monsoon we can expect several long, heavy rainstorms like that. We are lucky to have these floods and landslides now, to make us hurry and reforest and conserve.
Many small rivers run into Bengawan Solo and from the rains of Dec. 26 and afterwards there were floods in the valleys and fatal landslides in the mountain areas.
It is interesting to see how the villages on the hills and below manage their water. Traditionally villages here employed an official called the ulu-ulu or pala-uceng whose job was to look after the village's irrigation channels and make sure that water for the fields was divided acceptably in the dry season, while in the rainy season he must organize against floods.
Traveling up the north slope of Mount Lawu toward Ngrambe, then to Sine and through to Gondang in Sragen regency, there is not a single un-vandalized water gate. Every single one has been worked on by a scrap-metal thief with a hacksaw. Not one single irrigation channel is in proper working order, and there is no way anyone can control the flood of water in those channels. 
Seeing the neglect and vandalism on water gates that has been so widespread, we are lucky that more agricultural crops were not damaged. Another thing about the vandalized water gates: we are lucky that in most cases the thieves only bothered to steal the top part, and the bottom parts of the metal that form the actual gates are mostly intact. We are lucky; a guy with a welding torch could go around and fix the damaged water-gates in no time.
But between the flooded valley and the landslides in the mountain slopes, some villages in the middle actually had real luck that was material and readily convertible into cash. In these lucky villages people actually rejoiced and gave thanks for the floods. The rushing waters deposited a nice little profit in the form of sand and stones in the bends of the village's rivers.
The villagers collect these valuable building materials in a celebratory atmosphere after the floods recede. The Jakarta Post happened upon a party of sand and stone collectors around the bridge that connects the villages of Kayutrejo and Sekaralas over the river called Nglodro, in Widodaren district. In the drizzle of the rain in the hazy afternoon an elderly man was neck deep in the swollen river. He seemed to be doing something underwater with his feet. Suddenly he dived and disappeared, only to appear again hoisting a bamboo basket full of wet sand over his head. He carried this high up the bank where he already had a large pile gathered.
Other people were doing the same -- both upstream and downstream. Sand and stones were being carted away. A woman and her husband were collecting stones and rapidly making a big pile up the riverbank. In the middle of the river, just past a sharp bend, there was a huge pile of stones. Children were diving in the river and building their own child-size piles further down. Everyone was enjoying the day and everyone was happy. The sand and stones were liquid assets readily converted into rupiah. For just enough sand or stones to fill a small pickup truck a collector can demand Rp 80,000.
It seemed that every 12-year-old there that afternoon had earned at least that sum and the adults had earned even more. There was over Rp 5 million worth of sand and stones piled up in a small hill in that river bend.Pak Sugeng and his wife confided they had made Rp 500,000 in a day. No wonder everyone looked so happy!
Soeharto examined in hospital after 5 days
JAKARTA (AP): Former Indonesian president Soeharto wasbeing examined in a Jakarta hospital Friday after falling ill at his home last week, doctors said.
Soeharto, 86, complained about "swelling of his feet and other parts of his body," said Dr. Joko Raharjo, a member of Suharto's medical team at Pertamina Hospital.
His condition was not considered threatening, but he would likely spend the night under observation, said Dr. Brig. Gen. Marjo Subiandono, the head of Indonesia's presidential medical team.
Soeharto, who brutally ruled the country for 32 years until being toppled by a pro-democracy uprising in 1998, has been in and out of the hospital in recent years for a stroke and intestinal bleeding.
He is said to have suffered permanent brain damage and some speech loss from at least two strokes. During recent Islamic holidays, he received a stream of high-profile guests and gave a rare media interview in November after winning a defamation lawsuit against Time magazine.
Two years after his ouster, Suharto was indicted for allegedly embezzling US$600 million, but legal proceedings were suspended due to his poor health
AKSI UNTUK KORBAN BENCANA
Aktifis dari Yayasan Dana Sosial Al Falah Surabaya sedang menggelar aksi untuk menggalang kepedulian masyarakat terhadap korban bencana di Jatim dan Jateng, di Surabaya Sabtu (5/1). Bencana tanah longsor dan banjir di beberapa daerah di Jatim dan Jateng menyebabkan kerugian miliaran juta rupiah, ribuan rumah tenggelam, dan 32 korban meninggal dalam bencana banjir akibat luapan sungai Bengawan Solo. (INDRA HARSAPUTRA)
Mud disaster still up in the air nearly two years later
Indra Harsaputra and Stevie Emilia
The Jakarta Post/ Sidoarjo, Jakarta
It has been nearly two years since the mud started gushing out of a gas exploration drilling site in Sidoarjo regency, East Java, erasing a number of villages from the face of the map. Since then, there is only one thing for certain -- the disaster is unstoppable.
Since it first struck on May 29 last year, the calamity has forced thousands of people from their homes, made thousands of workers lost their jobs, put companies out of businesses and required other companies to spend more money either to relocate or transport their products. 
The company at the heart of the disaster, Lapindo Brantas Inc., has paid some compensation to affected residents but its hard to put a value on the misery of having to find a new home, as well as a livelihood.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered the company to complete paying out the first tranche of compensation by the end of the year, but the reality might not be so straightforward.
The President has also set a target for completing relocation of the affected infrastructure, which it is estimated will cost some Rp 2.1 trillion, by the end of next year.
But the relocation plan might be hard to be carry out, as well. The residents have been blamed for slowing down the relocation of various infrastructural facilities -- including a turnpike, railway line and gas pipeline -- by demanding high prices for their land.
"People are asking for high prices that will to be accede to as the land and building prices should refer to the estimates made by the independent team," complained Sidoarjo Regent Win Hendrarso.
The residents affected by the relocation plan in Jabon village, for instance, were demanding Rp 120,000 per square meter of their rice fields. This is similar to the compensation paid by the company to mudflow victims. On the other hand, the government is only willing to pay Rp 100,000 a square meter.
"I'm not sure the land acquisition problem can be solved by the end of this year. But I will not use a repressive approach. I will approach residents and remind them that the infrastructure relocation is crucial for Sidoarjo's economy and future," Win said.
Under the plan, the infrastructure will be relocated to the west side of the mud volcano, and will require a total of 132 hectares of land in 15 villages in Sidoarjo and Pasuruan regency.
Of the relocation funds, Rp 2.11 trillion of which came from the state budget, Rp 450 billion is to move the railway line, Rp 700 billion for the turnpike, Rp 300 billion to build a highway, Rp 60 billion for the gas pipeline, Rp 600 billion to pay for land acquisition and Rp 4.5 billion for overall relocation design work.
Altogether, the total losses caused by the mud volcano are estimated at Rp 7.6 trillion. Apart from relocation, it has cost Rp 612 billion to construct a canal to channel the mud to the sea, Rp 70 billion for operational expenses, Rp 50 billion to channel the mud to the Porong River, Rp 300 billion for dam construction and another Rp 4.2 trillion to cover social, housing and land losses.
Even then, this massive sum did not include the Rp 3.5 trillion in cash compensation paid by Lapindo, and the some Rp 40 billion in losses suffered by 12 companies located near to the mud volcano source and other companies whose distribution and service chains were disrupted when the mud cut the main Porong highway.
Phone company PT Telkom reportedly has suffered Rp 20 billion in losses as a result of the mud volcano.
The company's public relations manager in East Java, Djati Soegiarto, said that this did not include the loss of 7,500 customers, or another Rp 750 million per month.
Apart from the slow progress in land acquisition for relocation purposes, Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency head Sunarso blamed slow payments out of the national budget as another problem hampering infrastructure relocation.
He said the money had only been disbursed in early December, and had to be spent by mid December. He added that his agency had proposed the extension of the budget-spending deadline to April next year.
"The late (funding disbursement) makes us unsure whether the infrastructure relocation project can be completed next year as targeted by the government. But if the government wants it completed in 2008, we're ready as long the money is there," Sunarso said.
The slow progress with the relocation plan means that businesses and residents are left further out of pocket.
The cutting of roads forces public transportation passengers to spend extra money and time while traveling through Porong, while each company has to spend some Rp 10 million per month on extra fuel when distributing their products.
"The extra cost reduces the company's profit," said a businessman in Malang regency. "We also run the risk of consumers losing their trust due to late delivery."
Train passengers are risk when passing the area as the mud has warped the track and left it open to subsidence, leaving railway company PT Kereta Api with no other option than to order train drivers to slow down to 5 km per hour when passing the affected area.
The victims are still there. Of the 12,777 affected families, 96 percent of them have received the first tranche of 20 percent compensation from the company, while the rest, more than 638 of them, are still taking shelter in Pasar Baru market in Porong.
"We have rejected the 20 percent payment since the money is not enough to start a new life in a new place.
"We are demanding 50 percent and will remain here until our demand is met," said 45-year-old Sumainah from Renokenongo village.
Syafrudin Ngulma Simeulue of the National Commission on Human Rights' mediation sub-commission said the commission had found strong indications of human rights violations
He said the violations were especially apparent in the Porong market shelter as the people had been deprived of housing, health, education and a decent living.
"We want to know who is responsible for these human rights violations, especially ones related to environmental rights as provided for by the 1997 law and the 2007 law on people's economic, social and cultural rights," Syafrudin said.
He admitted, however, the finding the party responsible would not be easy due to the unclear status of the disaster -- whether it was a natural disaster or industrial disaster.
"The unclear nature of the disaster complicates the issue of finding who is responsible," he said.
HOT MUD FLOODS
Sebuah truk gandeng bermuatan makanan kemasan siap saji terguling di ruas jalan tol exit Porong setelah tanggul penampung lumpur panas di Porong Sidoarjo Jawa Timur jebol akibat hujan deras dan turunnya tanggul utama semburan lumpur panas, Jumat (4/1). Akibat jebolnya tanggul pada Kamis malam pukul 22.00 WIB mengakibatkan jalur transportasi darat dan kereta api terhenti, sementara ratusan korban mengungsi karena rumah mereka terendam air bercampur lumpur panas. (INDRA HARSAPUTRA)
B E R T A H A N Dalam Duka
SHOLAT. Korban banjir asal desa Kleco Kabupaten Lamongan Jawa Timur sedang menunaikan ibadah sholat di dalam rumahnya yang tergenang banjir, Kamis (3/1). Kurang lebih puluhan ribu rumah terendam di Jatim akibat meluapkan sungai Bengawan Solo yang panjangnya kurang lebih 600 kilometer persegi. (The Jakarta Post/INDRA HARSAPUTRA)
Korban Banjir Bengawan Solo Bahu Membahu Membantu Sesama Korban
Indra Harsaputra
Korban banjir luapan Sungai Bengawan Solo saling bahu membahu memberikan pertolongan kepada korban lainnya. 
Sungkono (51) dan Supingah (42), keduanya merupakan pasangan suami istri warga desa Trucuk Kecamatan Trucuk Kabupaten yang menjadi korban banjir. Rumahnya telah terendam air sedalam 2 meter dan beberapa harta bendanya terhanyut oleh derasnya air luapan sungai Bengawan Solo.
Satu-satunya harta yang masih utuh adalah perahu kayu dilengkapi motor dengan lebar 3 meter dan panjang 6 meter. Perahu itu merupakan sumber pendapatan bagi keluarga Sungkono untuk transportasi penyeberangan di sungai Bengawan Solo.
Orang lokal menyebutnya perahu gethek, untuk sekali penyeberangan tarifnya hanya Rp 500,- sampai Rp 1.000,-. Keberadaan perahu ini sangat dibutuhkan sebagai penghubung desa satu ke desa lainnya. Selain Sungkono, ada puluhan usaha serupa di sepanjang sungai Bengawan Solo.
Sejak 27 Desember lalu, saat sungai Bengawan Solo meluber ke pemukiman warga sampai perkotaan, hingga sekitar 90 persen dari 2.384 km 2 luas wilayah Bojonegoro terendam, pendapatan Sungkono menurun. Tapi bukan berarti perahu Sungkono tidak dibutuhkan lagi.
Justru penumpang saya malah naik dua kali lipat. Pasalnya, meskipun saat banjir di Bojonegoro telah disediakan beberapa perahu karet, namun tidak banyak perahu karet yang beroperasi di daerah isolasi dengan alasan tidak mampu menembus derasnya arus sungai Bengawan Solo.
Namun, Sungkono tetap menerobos derasnya arus, meskipun bagian perahu terbentur oleh material yang terhanyut di aliran sungai.
"Mereka yang naik itu korban banjir yang ingin menyelamatkan hartanya ke daerah kering yang tidak tersentuh air. Saya tidak mematok harga, dan tidak akan marah bila ada yang tidak membayar, " kata Sungkono kepada The Jakarta Post, Rabu (2/12).
"Saya merasa berkewajiban membantu mereka dengan ikhlas karena mereka sedang berkesusahan. Seringkali saya terpaksa meminta solar pemilik perahu lain karena tidak memperoleh pemasukan untuk membeli solar " katanya.
"Kemarin perahu saya kandas dan bagian kapal sedikit berlubang setelah menabrak dahan pohon roboh. Tidak jarang pula batang pohon juga mengenai baling-baling motor, " ceritanya.
Perahu Sungkono kandas beberapa jam saat menyalurkan bantuan makan dari beberapa wartawan Bojonegoro. Perahu bisa kembali beroperasi setelah diangkat kemudian didorong bersama-sama oleh penumpangnya.
"Tetapi saya tidak patah semangat memberikan pertolongan kepada korban banjir. Banyak rekan saya yang kelaparan karena tidak bisa makan dan minum air bersih, " kata Sungkono. 
Selain dibutuhkan korban banjir di daerah isolasi, perahu itu juga digunakan sebagai tempat tinggal sementara Sungkono bersama dengan ketiga anaknya, Dwi Bayu Kurniawan (18), Rise Suryana (13) dan Sasa Bella Aisa (10).
"Kami tidur, memasak dan makan di perahu ini karena rumah belum bisa dihuni karena terendam air. Jadi janganlah heran bila perahu kami ini penuh dengan alat memasak dan piring. Tidak jarang pula masakan saya harus dibagi dengan korban lainnya saat naik ke dalam perahu, " kata Supingah.
Supingah mengatakan di dalam perahu itulah Sasa dan Rise belajar meskipun sekolah mereka libur karena banjir, sedangkan Dwi lebih sering membantu Sungkono menjalankan perahu.
Selain Sungkono, ada juga Bambang dan Darwoto korban banjir lainnya yang keduanya berprofesi sebagai wartawan lokal giat menyalurkan bantuan makan di daerah terisolasi. Makanan yang disumbangkan berupa nasi bungkus hasil sumbangan beberapa wartawan lokal yang menjadi korban banjir.
Sama halnya dengan Sungkono, rumah Bambang dan Darwoto juga terendam banjir, harta mereka pun juga ikut terhanyut banjir. Pagi hingga siang mereka bekerja, dan bila sore mereka segera mendistribusikan makanan dan logistik ke korban banjir di daerah isolasi.
"Distribusi makanan dan logistik ini berakhir hingga malam mengingat rute yang sulit ditempuh. Awalnya istri dan keluarga protes, tetapi setelah saya jelaskan keluarga sangat mendukung kegiatan ini, " kata Bambang.
Baik itu Sungkono, Bambang dan Darwoto berharap berharap banjir segera berakhir dan bila menyusut tidak ada aksi penjarahan akibat kenaikan harga bahan pokok akibat kelangkaan barang ditambah lagi banyak korban banjir yang kehilangan pekerjaan mereka akibat ladang dan sawah yang terendam banjir.
Flood survivors struggling to survive
Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Ponorogo
Residents affected by the recent floods and landslides in Central and East Java are struggling to survive in unstable surroundings.
Most of them have lost jobs, homes and family members in the disaster.
The floods and landslides took place almost simul-taneously on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26.
The disaster claimed the lives of four people in Ngawi regency, East Java and 67 people in Karanganyar regency in Central Java. Besides the fatalities, the floods and landslides caused damage to hundreds of homes.
The government asserts the disaster was caused by high rainfall, while environmentalists say deforestation also played a key role.
A flood survivor from Mandaan village, Kota district in Ponorogo regency, Mbah Surip, 81, appeared strong in the face of trouble. She was cleaning up mud as much as 10 centimeters thick after her house was hit by a 2 meter flood on Dec. 26. Other residents, too, were busy moving their belongings and cleaning their homes.
Mbah Surip did the work on her own. She has lived alone in this house since the death of her husband 20 years ago.
"I am grateful to be safe from the disaster, although some parts of my house have collapsed and been swept away by the flood," she told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Mbah Surip was asleep when floods struck. It was raining heavily that night and water inundated the village up to knee height. The water gradually rose to the level of her bed, and she awoke and cried out for help.
She had no time to light a candle and save her belongings, since the water was already one meter deep. She waded out into the dark and rain, and was eventually carried by a fellow resident to a double-story house. 
"Water rose higher and higher and entered my nose and mouth. I shut my eyes and held tightly to theshoulders while praying," she said.
"At one point I thought I would die. I struggled and am fortunate to be alive," added Mbah Surip.
She never thought a huge flood would swamp her village because such an incident had never happened before in her life.
The Ponorogo regency administration apparently was not prepared for the disaster because it was late providing help to survivors. It had to borrow rubber dinghies from private com-panies and the Indonesian Military.
Due to the delay, the village where Mbah Surip lives was cut off. Rescue workers were hesitant to evacuate survivors there due to swift currents flowing through the village.
Mbah Surip and 200 other villagers, including children and the elderly, were forced to stay at other residents' houses on higher ground. They survived without food for more than two days, and suffered from the cold because their clothes were wet or swept away by floods.
"To stay alive, I and the other residents searched for food, such as vegetables, that had been carried away by the current. We cooked the vegetables and divided them equally," said Mbah Surip.
The flood in Ponorogo has subsided now, but it still poses a risk to other areas, such as Bojonegoro in East Java, due to the overflowing Bengawan Solo River.
Like Ponorogo, there is a shortage of evacuating equipment in Bojonegoro, which is hampering the process of moving people and belongings out of harm's way.
"We face an acute shortage of evacuating equipment and the conditions in shelters are unfavorable due to the lack of medicine, food and clothing. The government has not coordinated the situation well," said a health staffer who is posted in Ponorogo and Ngawi.
The Perak Maritime Meteorological and Geophysics Agency in Surabaya predicted continuing high rainfall until the end of the year.
Korban Banjir Bengawan Solo Merayakan Tahun Baru Di Atap Masjid
Indra Harsaputra
The Jakarta Post/Bojonegoro
Korban banjir luapan sungai Bengawan Solo merayakan tahun baru diatas atap rumah dan bangunan tinggi tanpa pesta dan terompet seperti pesta tahun baru di beberapa kota di Indonesia. Dampak luapan Sungai Bengawan Solo terus meluas di beberapa daerah di Jatim. 
Listrik padam, dan jaringan seluler terganggu akibat banjir. Hanya sebuah obor minyak yang menjadi teman setia Sariyem (70) dan 200 warga desa Trucuk Kecamatan Trucuk Kabupaten Bojonegoro dikala semua orang di kota besar sibuk merayakan pesta kembang api beraneka warna Tahun Baru 2008. Warga, mulai dari lansia, balita, remaja dan dewasa tinggal di lantai II dan atap kubah masjid desa agar terhindar dari dinginnya air dari sungai Bengawan Solo yang meluap sejak Jumat, 27 Desember lalu.
Tidak ada terompet maupun televisi dan dentuman musik. Suasana sepi tanpa canda tawa, hanya sesekali terdengar suara angin dan gemericik arus sungai Bengawan Solo. Sariyem tidur di lantai tanpa alas, sedangkan tikar dan alas tidur digunakan untuk balita dan anak-anak.
Jangankan berpesta, air bersih dan minum saja telah habis. Air minum dua galon berasal dari kiriman tim SAR dua hari lalu, sedangkan air bersih untuk memasak diambil dari sumber air yang letaknya 5 kilometer dari desa. 
"Barusan dapat kiriman makanan yang dijatuhkan oleh Tim SAR dari atas helikopter, namun percuma, makanan itu tidak bisa dimakan karena tidak ada air bersih dan minyak tanah mulai menipis, " kata Sariyem kepada The Jakarta Post, (1/1).
"Satu-satunya makanan yang dapat dikonsumsi hanyalah sumbangan dari rekan-rekan wartawan Bojonegoro. Sebungkus nasi, 3/4 telur dadar goreng dan sambal. Saya masih lapar, " katanya.
"Anak-anak balita juga mengkonsumsi makanan yang sama cuma sambal dibuang. Untuk minum, anak-anak harus berbagi jatah orang tua mereka. Sehingga banyak orang dewasa yang sampai saat ini kehausan, " katanya. 
Reno Pareno, wartawan lokal Bojonegoro bersama dengan enam wartawan yang membagikan nasi hanya terdiam menahan pilu. Sumbangan nasi bungkus itu merupakan hasil iuran beberapa wartawan. Nasi bungkus itu di distribusikan dua kali setiap hari di korban banjir di daerah terisolasi.
Badan SAR Nasional mengklaim banjir dibandingkan banjir di Bojonegoro jauh lebih parah dibandingkan dengan banjir di Surakarta maupun daerah lain di Indonesia. Hampir 90 persen dari 2.384,02 km² luas wilayah Bojonegoro tergenang banjir dengan ketinggian 1-3 meter.
Proses evakuasi dan distribusi menjadi kendala utama. Sulitnya akses transportasi dan terbatasnya alat evakuasi menjadi alasannya. Apalagi, peralatan untuk evakuasi sangatlah terbatas. Dengan alat yang ada, seperti perahu dan helikopter harus digunakan untuk penanganan bencana di 13 kabupaten Jatim yan secara bersamaan waktunya terkena musibah banjir.
Bertahan selama lima hari, bagi Sariyem dan 200 warga desa Trucuk bukanlah hal yang mudah. Lansia dan anak-anak balita yang menjadi korban banjir harus mandi, buang air besar dan kecil di genangan air luberan sungai Bengawan Solo yang kotor dan keruh.
The Jakarta Post merasakan kaki dan beberapa tubuh terasa gatal setelah lebih dari 3 jam berjalan di genangan air setinggi 1 meter. Banyak rekan-rekan wartawan lokal yang ikut membagikan makanan mengalami cidera luka ringan akibat kaki terkena potongan kayu dan material yang terhanyut bersama air.
"Bila ingin kencing dan buang air besar langsung menceburkan diri ke genangan air. Beberapa perempuan juga harus melepaskan pakaian bila mandi di air. Sabun mandi harus bergantian, demikian pula dengan handuk, " kata Sariyem.
Sedangkan untuk pakaian beberapa warga harus bergantian karena saat mengungsi di masjid tidak banyak pakaian yang dibawa. Sedangkan pakaian di rumah hilang bersama dengan derasnya arus. Pakaian itu dicuci tanpa sabun di air luapan Bengawan Solo. Cuaca yang mendung itulah membuat pakaian tidak kering bila dijemur.
Bau badan mereka tidak bersahabat, tetapi tidak ada salah satu warga pun yang mengeluhkan gatal-gatal. Beberapa warga diantaranya hanya terlihat bercak putih di kulit mereka, mirip penyakit panu. Sulit memastikan penyakit itu karena belum ada tim medis yang memeriksa kondisi korban banjir.
"Banjir kali ini merupakan yang terparah sepanjang hidup saya, " kata Sariyem.
"Tetapi, saya tetap akan tinggal di desa ini meskipun nantinya banjir surut. Kami sangat bergantung dengan sungai Bengawan Solo yang banyak memberikan penghidupan kami sebagai petani, " katanya.
Sariyem dan 200 warga desa memilih bertahan di masjid sampai banjir surut. Mereka enggan tinggal di pengungsian yang disediakan pemerintah karena jarak desa ke pengungsian kurang lebih 6 kilometer. Selain itu, mereka harus berjaga demi ternak dan harta benda mereka yang belum terhanyut arus sungai Bengawan Solo.
Tetapi, Sungai Bengawan Solo tampaknya kurang bersahabat. Luapan sungai Bengawan Solo terus merambah daerah lain, seperti Lamongan dan Gresik. Di kedua kota itu, ribuan warga telah mengungsi karena rumahnya terendam air.
Pemerintah pun juga tampak belum bersahabat, belum satupun pejabat pemerintah yang menyatakan keprihatinan kepada korban banjir yang tinggal di atas atap masjid itu.
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