Water is life. River is civilization. If in the ancient Egyptian civilization there is the Nil River, then the History of the Brantas river is the history of East Java civilization, large kingdoms such as Kadiri, Singosari and Majapahit are also built along the Brantas river stream area.
Until now, the existence of Brantas River, is very vital for the survival of East Java society, 60 percent of Jatim residents living in DAS Brantas. It has a length of 320 km and river flow area (DAS) of 12,000 km2, Brantas River covers more than 25 percent of East Java province. The government established as a strategic river due to the large contribution of the river flow area (DAS) Brantas on the national food stock.
But unfortunate that policy is not followed by management policies and supervisory authority. As a result, Brantas River currently faces serious DAS damage problems. There are 550 sand suction points using mechanical machines found in the length of Tulungagung, Blitar, Kediri, Jombang to Mojokerto, which every day sucks sand almost 3 million m3 sand from the river base.
SHIPPING
DIRI.
This massive sand suction causes the changes in the river profile, In a certain area of the river flow that was originally narrow and shallowly changed to the width and inside, In other areas instead. This sand pickling also results in river cliffs such as many visible in the Papar area, Kediri.
According to the results of ecoton research (Economic Assessment and Wet Land Conservation) at the beginning of 2010, if there were 56 types of freshwater fish living in the Brantas River, now living in half, In addition to providing life for fishermen, fish also serves as a decomposer that decomposes chemical substances so that the water content remains clean and safely consumed.
Finally, as far as we will let the efforts of the burgeoning continue to occur? So far if we are able to bear disasters due to the actual damage has seen in front of the eyes?
Text and Photos : Arief Priyono
