Their Livelihood Under the Shadow of Semeru's Danger

Habibi Rizal (50) mourns his home that was partially submerged by volcanic material from Mount Semeru in Sumbersari Hamlet, Supiturang Village, Pronojiwo District, Lumajang Regency, East Java, Thursday (20/11/2025). The house was damaged and can no longer be inhabited after being struck by a hot cloud the day before.

Meanwhile, in front of the house, two excavators were busy digging wet sand from the rain. Steam was still rising from their crevices. The excavated material was then arranged on the left and right sides of the village road, forming a long mound two meters high.

Meanwhile, in the distance, about 10 kilometers to the north of the settlement, the body of Semeru stands majestically. Its peak is obscured by gray clouds. "Everything is completely destroyed, it can no longer be inhabited. Not only the houses, but the hot clouds also wiped out my chili fields," he said.

Fortunately, Rizal and his family survived the incident of the hot cloud eruption that once again devastated several houses and public facilities. A similar event occurred in December 2022, but at that time the hot cloud affected the other side of Sumbersari Hamlet. Rizal's house was safe then. However, more than 50 people lost their lives.

"Compared to 2022, the impact is worse now," said Rizal, who evacuated to a relative's house on Wednesday night (19/11/2025). He recounted the chronology of how the hot cloud arrived. At that time, he was resting after working in the field. As soon as he heard the wail of the siren, he immediately got up to find a safe place.

On Thursday (20/11/2025), a day after the disaster, a significant question still lingered in his mind. It was not about the damaged houses or agricultural land, but rather the future for him and other residents, considering that the land which serves as their economic source is located in a red zone. "What about those who are burdened, those who are affected? What will happen in the future? We hope there will be a solution," he stated.

What Rizal experienced was also felt by other residents of Sumbersari. Ny Hatama (49) recounted that during the hot cloud eruption, she was about to eat and perform the Ashar prayer. However, she suddenly saw the atmosphere from the direction of Semeru darkening and white clouds rolling in.

"At that time, I was waiting for evacuation. There were moments when someone said 'it's safe,' so I went back into the house, but the smoke cloud grew larger. I then joined the evacuation. After that, I saw the house had disappeared," said Hatama, who moved from the evacuation site at the mosque to Supiturang 04 Elementary School.

According to Hatama, her family has actually received permanent housing (huntap) provided by the government. However, until now, her family still returns to their home in Sumbersari because there is no work available in the permanent housing. Day to day, she and her husband work as agricultural laborers.

Previously, the government constructed permanent housing for the Semeru survivors in 2021 in Sumbermujur Village, Candipuro District. A total of 1,951 units were provided. The distance from the permanent housing to Supiturang Village is also not too far, approximately 5 kilometers, with nearly the same elevation.

However, in its development, the permanent housing has been largely abandoned. Residents have returned to their original homes due to livelihood reasons. Understandably, they have long been dependent on what is available in Sumbersari. There, they cultivate agricultural land, plant secondary crops, mine sand, and engage in other jobs.

Abdul Manaf (60), another resident, stated that the lack of employment has led residents who previously occupied permanent housing to choose to return to their respective homes in Sumbersari, which are closer to agricultural land, including himself. Although not too far, access to the permanent housing is also hindered as it requires crossing the Curah Kobokan River.

"Sometimes, the Curah Kobokan is flooded with water, making it difficult to cross. If one wants to use the bridge, it is quite a long detour," said Manaf, who still remembers that, in addition to the years 2025 and 2021, a similar hot cloud from Mount Semeru had struck the area in 1993.

Manaf has a land area of 0.5 hectares. Part of the dry land is planted with sugarcane and salak, while another part of the wet land is usually planted with rice and secondary crops, including chili. From farming, he supports and educates his children up to the university level.

"My hope is that, since the house in Sumbersari is no longer habitable due to recent damage from hot clouds. Alhamdulillah, in 2021 the government prepared permanent housing, including for me. I am very grateful to the government. However, the issue is, how can we settle in the permanent housing if the location for earning a living is far away," he said.

Manaf hopes that in the coming days there will be a solution, whether it will be directed back to permanent housing or something else. If it is necessary to return to permanent housing, he hopes the government will provide some form of employment in that location.

"As a result of this incident, it seems that I only have one plot of land left that can still be managed, while the other parts cannot be used because they are buried under sand and rocks," he said.

Meanwhile, the disaster response process focuses on emergency situations. The Head of the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Gatot Soebroto, stated that his team, along with all parties involved, is working to meet the needs of the survivors, such as establishing public kitchens, providing clothing assistance, and other necessities.

"For the school building in Sumbersari that is buried under debris, efforts are still focused on relocation, while the students are joining other schools. Meanwhile, the remaining piles of debris are being cleared by the community, officials, and volunteers," he said.

Based on data from the Pronojiwo sub-district post, the number of refugees reached 807 individuals, although this number decreases during the day. They are spread across seven locations, including the Oro-oro Ombo Village Hall, Nurul Jadid Supiturang Mosque, Sumberurip Village-Owned Enterprise, and Oro-oro Ombo Mosque.

Gatot also confirmed that there were no fatalities in this incident. Only three individuals were injured, namely Haryono (49) and his wife, Normawati (42), residents of Banyakan, Kediri Regency, who were passing over the Gladak Perak bridge. Both suffered burns due to hot materials. The other individual was Hosen (44), a resident of Sumbersari, who was trapped inside his house during the lahar flood.

Meanwhile, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa stated that the government will soon address the damage to social and public facilities. As for the homes of residents that were damaged, according to Khofifah, they actually already have permanent housing. Her party hopes that they can return to occupy the existing permanent housing.

"Essentially, they already have permanent housing. Their identity cards also indicate permanent residence, but their workplaces are close to the affected areas. Therefore, the areas that fall into the red zone must comply in order to ensure that safety can be maintained together," he stated.

Khofifah believes that the community around Semeru has understood the dynamics of the volcanology of the highest mountain on the island of Java. If everyone can follow the directions of the authorities, then safety can be maintained. This can be seen from the rapid evacuation process when the status of Semeru increased from Alert (Level 2) to Waspada (Level 4) in a relatively short time.