BNPB Adds Planes To Modify Weather, Accelerate Flood Management In Semarang

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has added one aircraft fleet in the Weather Modification Operation (OMC) to accelerate the handling of floods that are still hitting the city of Semarang, Central Java, and strengthen the mitigation of hydrometeorological disasters in the surrounding area.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, said that previously BNPB had operated a Cessna Caravan PK-SNM aircraft to unravel the clouds so as not to rain in flood-affected areas or in upstream areas of the river.

"However, the massive formation of clouds makes it not enough for one fleet. Therefore, starting Thursday (October 30) additional aircraft will be deployed with a wider scope of operation," he said in Jakarta, Thursday, was confiscated by Antara.

The second fleet will be placed in Adi Soemarmo Air Base, Solo, as the OMC post in the southern region of Central Java. Thus, operations can reach a wider area and effectively control rainfall so as not to be concentrated in flood areas.

BNPB hopes that with the addition of the air fleet, efforts to accelerate flood management and mitigation in the future can be more optimal.

"When the land task force chases with time on the ground, in the sky we increase strength to arrange for rain to fall in the right place," he said.

According to Abdul, the BNPB officer team reported that at least until Wednesday afternoon the flood was still inundating a number of points on Jalan Kaligawe Raya to the Genuk area, with water levels reaching 90 centimeters.

BNPB confirmed that 22,669 people were affected, 39 people were displaced, and three residents died due to traffic accidents.

A number of pumps belonging to the River Basin Center (BBWS), the Water Resources Facilities and Infrastructure Control Center (PPSDA), and BNPB continue to be operated to accelerate the flow of water to the sea.

However, he said, their officers in the field reported that the water discharge from the upstream of the Tenggang and Sringin rivers was still high due to heavy rains.

The weather radar of the Ahmad Yani Semarang Meteorological Station shows that convective clouds with the potential for moderate to heavy rain still appear at several points. According to him, this condition made flooding still inundated the city of Semarang while the existence of toll projects and sea embankments helped slow the flow of water to the sea.