Garut Hit by Landslide and Movable Land, 6 Houses in Bungbulang Definitely Must Be Relocated

Illustration of land disasters moving in Talunamba Village, Madukara, Banjarnegara, Central Java. (ANTARA-HO-BPBD Banjarnegara)

JAKARTA - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) stated that houses affected by landslides in Gunamekar Village, Bungbulang District, Garut Regency, must be relocated.

The head of the Garut Regency BPBD, Satria Budi, said the six affected houses were buried by soil material and were declared to be standing in landslide-prone areas.

"The houses that were affected by the landslide there had to be relocated because of their cliff location", said Satria in Garut, West Java, quoted from Antara, Thursday, November 10.

Bungbulang sub-district, said Satria, is an area that is considered dangerous because of the potential for landslides to occur, whereas previously there have been landslides.

"In the past, there was a landslide in the area in 2014, so it was indeed dangerous", he said.

He conveyed that the relocation of houses affected by landslides was carried out independently by rebuilding residences in areas that were safe from natural disasters.

The Garut Regency Spatial and Settlement Service, he continued, has conducted an assessment to assist residents whose houses were damaged by the landslide.

"For heavily damaged houses, the maximum assistance is IDR 50 million, later it will be managed by Tarkim (Spatial and Settlement Service)", he said.

In addition to Bungbulang, there was also a landslide that hit a resident's house in Sukarame Village, Caringin District. The incident, after heavy rains, flushed the area.

Satria said the southern area is an area prone to landslides and moving land because of its hilly conditions and there are cliffs and ravines.

He appealed to the public to always be vigilant, especially in areas prone to landslides and moving land.

"We continue to carry out socialization and disaster mitigation to the community so that they have insight related to disasters and how to carry out rescues", said Satria.

Previously, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) researched soil conditions in Singajaya District, Garut Regency.

The study was conducted to determine the potential level of landslides and moving soils to mitigate disasters in the area.

Officers from the PVMBG inspected every contour of the land, and the condition of the house, including places such as pond conditions and others that were considered to have the potential for moving land to occur in Pancasura and Sukawangi Villages, Singajaya District.

"This team from PVMBG is to examine the condition of the soil in Singajaya, whether it is prone to soil movement or what is currently being researched", said Satria, Wednesday 9 November.