BPBD Asks Ogan Watershed Residents In OKU To Beware Of Flash Floods

BPBD OKU installed a flood detection device around the Ogan River area. ANTARA/Edo Purmana

JAKARTA - Residents who live along the Ogan Watershed (DAS), Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Regency, South Sumatra (Sumsel), are asked to increase awareness of flash floods during the rainy season so as not to cause casualties.

Head of the OKU Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Januar Efendi, said that the high intensity of rainfall that has occurred in the local area since the last few days is feared to cause the Ogan River to overflow and have the potential to cause flash floods.

Moreover, the BMKG has issued early warnings of floods and landslides due to increased activity in the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) Wave and Equatorial Rossby Waves that are active across the South Sumatra region.

This wave activity plays a significant role in increasing the supply of wet air masses and triggering the formation of rain clouds.

Therefore, he again reminded residents who live along riverbanks, especially in disaster-prone areas, to increase vigilance because flash floods can occur at any time.

As an effort to deal with natural disasters, he said, the OKU Regency Government has set an emergency status for floods and landslides to face the rainy season this year.

In determining this status, his party increases the capacity of disaster management personnel so that floods and landslides can be overcome as early as possible in order to anticipate casualties.

A total of 647 personnel who are members of the disaster management task force are alerted to follow up on extreme weather that has the potential to cause the impact of floods and landslides.

"For BPBD itself, there are about 240 personnel on standby plus from relevant stakeholders in OKU Regency," he said in Baturaja, Friday, which was confiscated by Antara.

In addition to personnel, his party also prepared disaster management equipment including four rubber boats, three fiber boats, five boat engines, one boat, and three rescue cars.

Then, as many as 19 trail motorbikes, 10 floating suction machines, six evacuation tents, buoys and 71 family tents.

"We also optimize the supervision of river water discharge through the Gauge Level or flood detection equipment installed in the Ogan River in areas of several flood-prone sub-districts to detect potential natural disasters as early as possible," he said.