OMC Jabodetabek Ends, BNPB: Disaster Risk Impact Reduces

Weather Modification Operation (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Weather Modification Operation (OMC) organized by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) together with the Provincial Government of the Special Region of Jakarta through the DKI Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and the West Java Provincial Government through the West Java Provincial BPBD has ended on Thursday, March 20.

This operation also collaborated with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the Indonesian Air Force.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, said the joint weather modification operation was an effort by the central and regional governments to reduce the risk of aftershocks after a large flood that hit the Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi (Jabodetabek) area on Monday, March 3.

The joint operation was carried out simultaneously for 10 days from March 11-20 2025. However, BNPB has been implementing OMC since March 4, 2025.

Abdul explained, during the OMC period, namely March 4-20, 2025, the BNPB OMC team recorded a total flight of 56 carravan PK-SNM aircraft with 113 hours and 48 minutes of flight time. The total semai material used during the operation consisted of 4,000 kg calcium oxide (CaO) and 52,000 kg sodium chloride (NaCl).

"Even though it is still raining during the period of weather modifications in several Jabodetabek areas, the potential risk of a disaster impact can be reduced," Abdul said in his statement, Saturday, March 22.

Meanwhile, the West Java Province BPBD noted that disaster events in West Java Province reached 60 incidents during the OMC period. This number, said Abdul, did increase compared to the period before the OMC.

"Nevertheless, the potential disaster risk has decreased significantly," he said.

In comparison, continued Abdul, the number of people affected in the period before the OMC was 231,180 people, compared to data on the 10th day of OMC recorded 15,582 people. The percentage of life losses was affected by 92.3 percent.

"The risk of victims dying has also decreased by 100 percent after the implementation of OMC," he said.

Previously, floods and landslides in the West Java region killed as many as 10 people. After the OMC, there were no deaths, although the West Java region was hit by rain with moderate to heavy intensity on March 17-18, 2025.

"Similarly, the amount of material losses that can be reduced by weather modification operations," he added.

In addition, the BPBD of the Special Region of Jakarta also recorded a decrease in the impact of disasters from 10,626 people affected on the first basis of March 2025 to 721 people affected on the second basis of March 2025. Although the number of disasters due to extreme weather increased by 57 percent.

Based on the BMKG weather forecast, added Abdul, the weather prospects for the third basis of March 2025 for the Provinces of the Special Region of Jakarta and West Java were observed to have the potential for light to moderate rain.

Abdul said BNPB appealed to the public to remain alert to the potential for wet hydrometeorological disasters by cleaning drainage, repairing and maintaining embankments, preparing disaster preparedness bags, evacuating to safer places when heavy rain occurs more than an hour and visibility is less than 100 meters.

"To anticipate earthquake disasters, people are expected to remain calm and don't panic. When the earthquake occurs, it can take shelter under a strong table, avoid glassy material, evacuate outside the home or open fields when the earthquake stops," said Abdul.

"Be aware of the potential for aftershocks, follow information that can be accounted for and instructions from the authorities," he concluded.