Disaster Early Prevention, Flood-Longsor Alert Status Determined In South OKU

South OKU BPBD established flood and landslide alert posts, Thursday. BETWEEN/HO-BPBD South OKU

JAKARTA - The Regency Government (Pemkab) of South Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU), South Sumatra (Sumsel) has declared an emergency status for floods and landslides to face the rainy season this year.

Head of the South OKU BPBD Emergency and Logistics Division, Heri Pramono, said that the status determination was carried out as an effort to overcome natural disasters as early as possible.

Moreover, he said, South OKU Regency is one of the districts in South Sumatra that is mapped out prone to floods and landslides during the rainy season.

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.

Around 200 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.

In addition to personnel, he said, his party also prepared natural disaster management equipment ranging from rubber boats, fiber boats to evacuation tents for the victims.

"We also set up flood and landslide alert posts centered at the South OKU BPBD Office," he said in Muaradua, Thursday, which was confiscated by Antara.

On this occasion, Heri appealed to the public to increase awareness of the potential for natural disasters so as not to cause casualties.

"We will also immediately forward an early warning letter from the BMKG to the sub-district government to give an appeal to their respective citizens to be aware of extreme weather," he said.