Hurricane Seroja Disaster Victims In NTT Receive Special House Assistance

JAKARTA – Victims of the tropical cycle storm Seroja in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) can breathe a sigh of relief. The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) has completed hundreds of special housing units that are ready to be inhabited for communities affected by the storm.

"The construction of this house is an effort by the PUPR Ministry to help communities affected by the Tropical Cyclone Seroja disaster in NTT Province," said Director General of Housing at the PUPR Ministry, Iwan Suprijanto in a release in Jakarta, Tuesday, May 3.

Iwan explained, the Ministry of PUPR also carried out the handover of keys to the community so that they could immediately occupy the house on April 9, 2022.

This agenda coincides with the one-year visit of the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo to Amakaka Village, Ile Ape District, Lembata Regency and to Nelelamadike Village, Ile Boleng District, Adonara, East Flores Regency.

The procession of handing over the keys to the house for occupancy was carried out directly by the Head of the Task Force for Disaster Management in the Provinces of NTT and NTB, Ministry of PUPR, Widiarto to the Regent of Lembata, Thomas Ola Langoday and to the community of prospective residents.

The local government and the beneficiary communities are expected to maintain the sustainability and cleanliness of the new residential areas and to add to the beauty and comfort of the environment, reforestation can be carried out by the community.

"The existence of a livable, comfortable, and healthy place to live will provide security and comfort for its residents," said Iwan as quoted by Antara.

The housing assistance for permanent relocation, he said, was a tangible manifestation of the government's commitment to helping communities affected by the tropical cyclone Seroja.

Each house is built with type 36 with a land area of 108 square meters and has been equipped with communal sanitation, clean water networks, electricity, environmental roads and community halls and is ready to be occupied.

In Lembata Regency, the PUPR Ministry built 700 units in three locations, namely Waisesa (173 units), Tanah Merah (294 units) and Podu (233 units). Meanwhile, in East Flores Regency, 300 units were built in three locations, including in Oyang Barang (50 units), Saosina (195 units) and Nelelamadike (55 units).

"The house built by the Ministry of PUPR is a type 36 house with a land parcel of 108 square meters. The budget for the construction of a special house due to the tropical cyclone Seroja in Lembata Regency is Rp. 141.667 billion and in East Flores Regency is Rp. 68.58 billion," he explained.