TPS Prone To Floods In NTB Moved, KPU: Permanent Voters, Only TPS Move Locations

The livestock cages of residents in Sumbawa NTB were affected by flash floods on Friday, February 3, 2024. (Between)

The General Election Commission (KPU) has asked the regency and city KPUs affected by flooding in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) to move polling stations (TPS) to locations that are safer from natural disasters.

Chairman of the NTB KPU Muhammad Khuwailid said the transfer was not to relocate the TPS, but to move it to a location where floods could not be affected. However, the location is still in the same area.

"Regarding the weather constraints that occurred in Bima and Sumbawa cities, so that the flood a few days ago we asked that the TPS be moved to a safe location," he said.

He said moving polling stations from their original position did not mean that they also transferred voters to other polling stations. However, this is a disaster mitigation step.

"The election remains, only the polling station moves to make it possible not to be hit by floods when it comes to polling stations," said Khuwailid.

Khuwailid gave an example of the transfer of polling stations as happened in Sumbawa Regency and Bima City which were affected by the flood on Friday, February 9.

To overcome this, he said, his party had coordinated with local governments, including district and city KPUs and security forces for the transfer of the TPS.

The reason is that during the flood that occurred in the district, he said, many invitation cards were washed away during the flood.

Therefore, he said. in addition to moving the TPS, the KPU also strengthens the organizers at the KPPS level to anticipate things that are not desirable.

Previously, four districts and cities on Sumbawa Island, NTB were hit by floods on Friday, February 9.

Head of the NTB Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Ahmadi, said that three districts and one city in NTB were hit by floods, including Sumbawa, Dompu, Bima and Bima Regencies.

"The alleged causes vary. One of them is rain which is evenly high intensity from noon to evening yesterday on Sumbawa Island," he said.

In addition, the topography of Sumbawa Island, which consists of hills and mountains, causes runoff water from watersheds (DAS) to accelerate water to the downstream inhabited by urban residents.

"Not to mention our thin forest vegetation so that it can no longer hold back water is one of the factors causing flooding," said Ahmadi.

For areas affected by flooding, most of the residents who have been living on the banks of rivers and areas adjacent to the river.

"Currently, the water conditions have receded and the residents whose houses were flooded are cleaning their houses from mud and garbage," he said.

However, from the temporary report of the floods that hit four districts and cities on the island of Sumbawa, it did not cause any casualties.