DPR Encourages BMKG To Prepare Accurate Data On 'Megathrust' Earthquake Threats

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission V DPR RI, Syahrul Aidi Maazat encouraged the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to prepare accurate data related to the threat of a large earthquake or Megathrust in the Sunda Strait and Mentawai-Siberut zones.

He reminded that rumors of large earthquakes should not cause public panic because disaster information is not accompanied by accurate data, and without disaster mitigation efforts.

According to Syahrul, BMKG needs to coordinate with related parties to prepare mitigation of the potential megathrust that haunts Sumatra and Java.

"The BMKG should involve all components of the existing government, so that it does not become panic," Syahrul told reporters, Saturday, August 24.

Syahrul assessed that there needs to be mitigation and preparation steps so that Indonesia can face disasters. The commission that deals with disasters hopes that the government can clearly provide information. On the other hand, the community must also be wise in receiving this information. "All of this is of course, because this information is based on the data held by the BMKG, we need to do humane business readiness," said Syahrul Previously, Head of the BMKG Earthquake and Tsunami Center Daryono warned the earthquake from two megathrust zones, namely the Sunda Strait Megathrust and the Mentawai-Siberut Megathrust, it was a matter of time.

The reason is that the two zones have not experienced earthquakes or have seismic gaps for a long time, which is more than two centuries. Usually, large earthquakes have their own cycles in the range of up to hundreds of years.

Meanwhile, the Head of BMKG, Dwikorita, said that his party had taken various steps to anticipate megathrust. First, placing the sensors of the InaTEWS tsunami early warning system facing the megathrust zones.

"The InaTEWS was deliberately installed to face the megathrust. Originally, the BMKG was present to deal with, mitigate the megathrust," he admitted.

Second, education local and international communities. One form is to assist local governments (Pemda) to prepare various mitigation infrastructures, such as evacuation routes, early warning systems, and tsunami shelters.