East OKU Extends Hydrometeorological Disaster Status To Alert Bansor Task Force

Illustration: Floods enter people's homes in East OKU Regency. (ANTARA/Edo Purmana)

JAKARTA - East Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Regency in South Sumatra (Sumsel) has extended its hydrometeorological disaster alert status.

"The emergency alert status of floods and landslides has been extended until March 2025," said Head of the Emergency and Logistics Division of the East OKU Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Budi Widiyanto in Martapura, Monday, February 17, as reported by Antara.

He said the status was extended following up on floods and landslides that occurred in the local area in early January 2025.

"In the January 2025 period, floods, landslides and tornadoes occurred in East OKU, but there were no casualties," he said.

Therefore, he continued, the extension of the emergency alert status needs to be carried out as an effort to deal with natural disasters as early as possible in order to anticipate casualties.

In determining this status, his party has alerted the Bansor and Landslides Task Force or the Bansor Task Force in a number of sub-districts in East OKU that are mapped prone to natural disasters during the rainy season.

The sub-districts in East OKU mapped prone to floods and landslides include Bunga Mayang, Martapura, BP Bangsa Raja, Madang Suku I, Madang Suku II, Semendawa Barat, Cempaka, Semendawai Suku III, and Belitang.

Around 100 personnel were alerted in these vulnerable areas as an effort to deal with natural disasters as early as possible to minimize casualties.

"This effort is carried out through intensive patrols in all mapped areas prone to floods and landslides," he said.

In addition to personnel, the OKU BPBD has also reactivated the disaster management post in areas prone to hydrometeorological disasters complete with adequate equipment.

Disaster management equipment that has been prepared starts from rubber boats, viber boats, clean water supply tankers and evacuation tents for victims of natural disasters.