Flood Mitigation Efforts, BSI Supports the Normalization of the Roworejo River in Sumberagung
The Roworejo area in Dusun Pancer has long been known as a flood-prone zone. The Roworejo River that runs through the hamlet has become increasingly shallow and is heavily overgrown with water hyacinth, which obstructs the flow of water. During heavy rainfall, the river frequently overflows, inundating residential areas and damaging residents’ farmland.
The Roworejo River is located not far from the Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine operated by PT Bumi Suksesindo (BSI). Both are situated in Sumberagung Village, Pesanggaran Subdistrict, Banyuwangi, East Java. When the Sumberagung Village Government initiated the normalization of the Roworejo River to reduce flood risks, the subsidiary of PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk provided support by covering the cost of excavator operations.
The river normalization work began on Saturday, 24 January 2026, targeting a one-kilometer stretch of the river. The process has been directly monitored by the Head of Pancer Hamlet, Estu Raharjo. Improved water flow following the normalization is expected to reduce flood risks. According to Estu, the effort is also crucial to protecting local livelihoods. “Our farmers depend heavily on their crops. When flooding occurs, plants are damaged and they suffer losses,” he said.
The excavator deployed on site has also been used for other community needs, such as creating household waste disposal pits to prevent rubbish from being carried into the river during the rainy season.
BSI’s support for river normalization in Sumberagung Village is not without precedent. In 2019, BSI was involved in the normalization of the Gonggo River, which had previously overflowed frequently, flooding residential areas, damaging farmland, and leaving large amounts of waste behind. After the river was dredged and the removed sediment was used to build embankments, areas that had experienced flooding up to three times a year were no longer affected.
Support for the normalization of the Roworejo River forms part of BSI’s ongoing involvement in environmental management around its mining operations. Through cooperation with the village government and local communities, flood mitigation efforts are expected to be carried out more effectively and deliver tangible benefits for the residents of Sumberagung.
