2.603 Huntap for Victims of the Sumatra Disaster Built in Where? Minister Ara Reveals 3 Criteria
JAKARTA - The government is preparing the construction of permanent housing for victims of flooding and landslides on the island of Sumatra. Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning Maruarar Sirait (Ara) said the total number of houses to be built reached 2,603 units.
"As of today, there is readiness to build houses for our brothers and sisters in West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh, amounting to 2,603 units," said Ara at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture's office, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, November 17.
He said the construction of the house would begin soon and would not wait for the completion of all stages of emergency disaster management in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra.
Regarding the relocation location, Maruarar said that a number of points had been proposed and discussed through several cross-party meetings. The process, he said, refers to three main criteria.
"What is certain is that from the 2-3 meetings we have prepared, there are several that have been proposed, clarified continuously with 3 criteria measures," he said.
The first criterion, according to Maruarar, is related to the legal aspect so as not to cause problems later. The second criterion concerns the technical and safety aspects of the relocation site, especially so that residents are not relocated back to disaster-prone areas.
"This means, we must not move the relocation of people who are affected by disasters, floods, landslides, to unsafe places. So it is really checked, the area is safe from bad situations, such as floods and landslides. Right," said Ara.
Meanwhile, the third criterion focuses on the sustainability of residents' lives after being relocated, not only on the physical development of the house.
"We understand the philosophy of housing, the house is not just a building that is built, but its life is moving. So also think about the location where the children go to school, think about where their parents work, how to go to the market. So the ecosystem must be a consideration," said Maruarar.
In the process of determining land for the construction of permanent housing for disaster victims, the government also coordinates with various law enforcement and supervisory institutions so that they are not hampered by regulatory issues.
Maruarar emphasized that the construction of housing is still targeted to start running in the near future in accordance with President Prabowo Subianto's instructions.
"That is the President's direction to us. So please pray to the people of Indonesia, we start this month to build permanent housing for our brothers and sisters who were affected by disasters in West Sumatra, Aceh, and North Sumatra," he concluded.