There Is A Potential For Megathrust, Minister Basuki Claims Toll Road Buildings Pass Earthquake Resistant Tests

JAKARTA - Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono stated that all toll roads and buildings carried out by his ministry had passed the earthquake-resistant test. This is in response to the question of the potential for Megathrust to occur in Indonesia.

"For Megathrust, right, we are buildings that have been built, especially toll roads, high buildings in Jakarta, it must have been with a maximum earthquake of 1,000 years now, the new SNI," Basuki told reporters quoted on Thursday, August 22.

Even so, Basuki did not know whether the earthquake-resistant test according to the SNI was able to withstand the earthquake from Megathrust. However, he only made sure that all buildings carried out by the Ministry of PUPR were carried out before they were used for earthquake-resistant tests.

"What is built with it depends on later, we don't know how strong Megathrust is," said Basuki.

He stated that his party also did not have funds or budgets that were allocated specifically to mitigate the potential for Megathrust.

"What is the anticipation? Anticipation for Megathrust when designing the building with an annual SNI earthquake-resistant. (But) depending on how many Megathrusts will be," he said.

The Head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati asked the local government (Pemda) to prepare a safe spatial layout and be able to accommodate the community as a mitigation effort if the Megathrust earthquake occurred in Indonesia.

"How to prepare the community and local government before an earthquake with high strength that resulted in a tsunami. The local government has been invited to jointly prepare the infrastructure, the system, is there an evacuation route, an evacuation shelter," said Dwikorita Karnawati as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 20.

Then, vulnerable zones such as areas near sea and coast should be vacated and not established by many buildings.

"The regional governments are also expected to prepare spatial planning there. On the beach it is limited, buildings should not be built. If the hotel is built, the hotel must be ready to face (Megathrust), the building is required to be able to withstand 8.5 magnitudes," he explained.