JAKARTA - Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian asked local governments throughout Indonesia to strengthen disaster mitigation after landslides that claimed lives in Cibeunying Village, Majenang District, Cilacap Regency, Central Java.
"I came directly to see the conditions on the ground and ensure that the handling runs optimally. This is also a warning for other local governments to immediately strengthen disaster mitigation," Tito said in a statement reported by ANTARA, Thursday, November 20.
This was conveyed by Tito after reviewing the disaster location in Cilacap Regency. During his visit, Tito met the affected victims and provided reinforcement to families who were still waiting for the results of the search.
He also asked all elements of the evacuation team consisting of elements of Basarnas, BNPB, TNI/Polri, the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP), and volunteers, to work solidly and quickly, in order to reduce the anxiety of the victim's family.
Tito said President Prabowo Subianto had instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs to strengthen coordination with local governments in mapping disaster-prone areas, especially since the intensity of rainfall is predicted to be still high.
"High rainfall is risky, especially in Java, which is densely populated. If landslides occur in empty land, the impact is minimal. But, if it hits settlements, it can cause casualties. Therefore, local governments must inventory vulnerable points and prepare mitigation steps early on," he said.
Tito also invited the local government to relocate residents from disaster-prone areas, as well as take advantage of unexpected expenditure funds if they face budget constraints.
On a separate occasion, the Regent of Cilacap, Syamsul Aulya Rachman, appreciated the arrival of the Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, who directly inspected the location of the landslide in Cibeunying Village.
According to him, the presence of the Minister of Home Affairs is proof that the Ministry of Home Affairs does not allow local governments to work alone in dealing with disasters.
"The presence of the Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian to the landslide location means a lot to us. He visited the public kitchen, gave directions on the steps that had been taken, and directly led the preparedness and search for victims. This gave us great encouragement," said Syamsul.
In addition to reviewing public kitchens and the SAR team, Tito also reminded that landslides in Cibeunying must be a vigilance for other local governments (Pemda) in mitigating the potential for hydrometeorological disasters due to increased rainfall in recent times.
"The Minister of Home Affairs said that this is a joint lesson to be more prepared, especially if there is an early warning from the BMKG (BMKG Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency) regarding the potential for natural disasters," said Syamsul.
The Regent said Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian also stated his readiness to support the Cilacap Regency Government's plan to relocate survivors to Jenang Village, about 2 kilometers from the landslide point.
One of the efforts made was to coordinate with the Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas of Maruarar Sirait regarding the possibility of housing programs for relocation residents.
"The 3.9 hectare land is ready. The process goes through stages. The regional head determines the number of residents who are relocated, then proposed to the BNPB (National Disaster Management Agency) for temporary housing, only after that is permanent housing," explained Syamsul.
Meanwhile, the search for victims of the Cibeunying landslide was officially extended three days after the joint SAR team and the victim's family agreed to continue the operation.
"The family hopes that the operation will continue. On humanitarian grounds, the SAR operation has been officially extended for three days," said Head of the Cilacap SAR Office, Muhammad Abdullah.
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