Batu City Government Prepares Disaster Anticipation During Rainy Season

Archival photos. Landslides that occurred in Bumiaji District, Batu City, East Java and resulted in a cut off of the clean water pipe (Hipam), Friday (1/12/2023). (ANTARA/HO-BPBD Batu City.)

The City Government (Pemkot) of Batu has prepared a number of steps to anticipate hydrometeorological disasters or natural disasters that are influenced by weather factors during the rainy season.

Batu Mayor Aries Agung Paewai said one of the concerns regarding routine maintenance of waterways in the region. "By understanding the potential for flooding due to high rains, we are committed to routine maintenance of city waterways throughout the rainy season," said Aries as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, December 4. Routine maintenance of the waterways, he continued, includes cleaning waterways, sewers, and drainage, to ensure that water flow is not disrupted during the rainy season in order to reduce flood risk. Public participation, he said, is important, including coordination steps with related parties, to ensure effective implementation of a number of efforts prepared to anticipate the rainy season. Through information and education campaigns, said Aries, it is hoped that it will be able to increase public awareness about flood risk, as well as what steps need to be taken in prevention efforts. "Especially through notification through urban villages and social media, it will give residents an early understanding to take precautions," he said. The Batu City Government has issued Circular (SE) Number 360/3445/422.206/2023 concerning Preparedness to Anticipate the 2023-2024 Rainy Season in the Batu City Region. In that SE, the Batu City Government together with the community carried out cleaning and monitoring of water channels so that there would be no blockage that resulted in flooding.

Then, check the condition of the slope or cliff, especially those in the middle of the settlement, carry out cyskamling at times and after heavy rains on slopes and cliffs, as well as water or river channels that are thought to have the potential for landslides or flooding. The Batu City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) was also instructed to prepare an emergency standby command post involving regional, sub-district, TNI, Polri, and volunteers. The Batu City BPBD was also asked to monitor disaster-prone areas and take steps to prepare for floods or landslides, as well as coordinate the formation of Disaster Management Integrated Teams, including optimizing communication networks and forming Emergency Alert Command Posts.