Cilacap Landslide Telan 13 Victims, Commission V DPR Asks BMKG To Intensify Weather Modification In Prone Areas

Member of Commission V DPR Irmawan urged the government and BMKG to intensify weather modifications in landslide-prone areas.

This was said by Irmawan following a landslide disaster in Cibeunying Village, Majenang District, Cilacap, Central Java, which occurred on Thursday, November 13. To date, 13 people have died in the disaster, while 7 residents are still being searched, and 823 residents have fled.

"We hope that the landslide incident in two hamlets that triggered dozens of fatalities will repeat itself. Moreover, until the end of November, there is still great potential for extreme weather in various regions," said Irmawan to reporters, Monday, November 17.

Irmawan assessed that weather modifications can help control rainfall so that extreme rain intensity can be suppressed. Therefore, he asked the BMKG to carry out a detailed mapping of landslide-prone areas to determine the priority of weather modification.

"With an accurate mapping, we can find out which areas must be handled immediately considering the area of landslide-prone areas," he said.

The PKB legislator said that the weather modification technique can be done through cloud seeding using Semai materials such as salt (NaCl). He also encourages strengthening coordination between BMKG and ministries/agencies so that mitigation measures can run effectively.

In addition to mitigation, Irmawan also asked the Regional Government to strengthen coordination with the Central Government to ensure that the basic needs of the affected residents are met, including clean water, temporary housing, and foodstuffs.

Cooperation with all parties is very much needed. The main focus is the safety of residents and the fulfillment of their basic needs," he concluded.