By Choirul Fuadi)*
CIDISS – Central Kalimantan province has many rivers. Many residents live alongside the river into the forest. Transportation access of citizen also uses kelotok (small boat) for mobility. It affects to the sale of agricultural products.
District of Seranau and Hanaut Island, it produces of various types of food crops, such as rice, vegetables and fruits. The area is located in the Kotawaringin Timur regency, Central Kalimantan province.
However, now, the citizens are still complaining about the condition of infrastructure because have not yet available of road access. Therefore, farmers are difficult to sell their agricultural product. “We are marketing the agricultural products, need to cross the river first with a kelotok (small boat) or ship,” said Iyan, residents of Seranau District, quoted from kalteng prokal.co.
By using kelotok, it affects in high transportation costs. “While we sell this price is still low. If we carry small of agricultural products, we are actually lose, because it does not cover the transportation costs”
According to iyan, to market the agricultural products and also fish, they usually sell in markets that exist in some villages on the banks of the Mentaya River. “The markets that exist in some of these villages are just in certain days, so we can take turns coming to these markets,” he explained.
Although, it is actually close to Sampit (the capital of Kotawaringin Timur regency) but there is no road access to the Seranau District. So the only transportation used by the people in this district is river transportation.
They hope, the bridge between Kota Sampit and Seranau district will soon be built. In addition, inter-village connecting roads in Seranau district are expected to be realized as soon as possible.
)* The author is CIDISS Contributor