Police Will Research Environmental Damage That Caused Garut Flood

West Java Police Chief Inspector General Suntana (left) with Garut Regent Rudy Gunawan inspecting flood-affected areas in Cimacan Village, Haurpanggung Village, Garut Regency, West Java, Monday (18/7/2022). BETWEEN/Purnama Ferry

GARUT - The West Java Regional Police (Polda) will examine environmental damage which is suspected to be one of the causes of flash floods in a number of areas in Garut Regency.

"We will investigate later because every year, when the rainfall is so high, this place or the place we visited earlier sometimes flooded," said West Java Police Chief Inspector General Suntana when inspecting flood-affected areas in Cimacan Village, Haurpanggung Village, Tarogong Kidul District, Garut. reported by ANTARA, Monday, July 18.

The West Java Regional Police Chief explained the reason why his staff conducted research on environmental damage to become a study, so that in the future flood disasters do not occur again in Garut.

The research conducted by the police according to the Kapolda also received support from the Garut Regent and other agencies for joint improvement in the future.

"The regent has planned various activities, various agendas, which later the police and related agencies, including the TNI will fully support," he said.

Garut Regent Rudy Gunawan, who accompanied the West Java Regional Police Chief when inspecting flood-affected areas, said that the local government is currently still recording the amount of losses due to the flood.

Furthermore, he said, local governments will also pay attention to environmental damage problems, such as problems that occur in the upper reaches of the river.

"Because the one above (upstream), where is this environment, we don't have a forest, the one who owns the forest is Perhutani, but we will not blame each other," he said.

The Regent hopes that all parties, including the community, take care of each other so that natural disasters do not occur, such as the current flood.

"Let's do an assessment together so that disaster mitigation is comprehensive, not only human behavior, but also from the environment," he said.

Previously, heavy rains flushed the Garut area on Friday (15/7) causing flooding and the overflow of the Cimanuk River, inundating many houses spread across 14 sub-districts.

The flash flood did not cause casualties, but resulted in material losses and the environmental conditions of the settlements were dirty because many were submerged in mud.