The River Runs Shallow

(1/7/2018) DenPost reports that lahar flows from active Mount Agung have reduced the depth of the Tukad Unda river in the Regency of Klungkung.

The  major Balinese river has seen a reduction of water depths by as much as 4-meters due to lahar brought from the mountain’s slopes by heavy rains.

To Dredge or Not to Dredge? 

Officials now claim they are trying to determine if steps should be made to remove the accumulation of volcanic material from the Tukad Unda.

Because of the ongoing eruptions on Mount Agung, the accumulation of lahar in the river is likely to increase even more over the coming weeks and month. On one hand, the dredging of the river will help prevent flooding of areas adjoining the Tukad Unda while, on the other hand, the lahar, if left in the river, will be harvested by sand farmers producing a much-needed source of income for the Klungkung economy.

Any plans to dredge the river back to its normal depth would be a massive undertaking both in engineering and financial terms as the siltation of the river has affected almost the entire length of the river from the slopes of Mount Agung down to the city of Semarapura and to the ocean on the eastern shore of Bali.