Natural Disasters Hit Lebak Throughout This Year Causing IDR 37 Billion Loss

JAKARTA - According to the BPBD of Lebak Regency, Banten, material losses due to natural disasters so far this year alone have reached IDR 37 billion. And sadly, three people died in the high waves on the southern coast.

"We ask the public to remain vigilant because bad weather still has a chance for the next two months," said the Head of Emergency and Logistics Section of the Lebak Regency BPBD, Agus Reza Faisal in Lebak, Wednesday, November 2.

The people of Lebak Regency who were affected by the natural disaster were due to bad weather marked by heavy rain accompanied by strong winds and lightning.

According to the BMKG, throughout 2022, there is a high probability that bad weather will cause floods, landslides, strong winds, high waves, and ground movements.

The Lebak Regency area is in 28 sub-districts, mostly there are mountains, hills, coasts, and rivers.

Therefore, the Lebak BPBD reminded people living in areas prone to natural disasters to increase their vigilance in order to reduce disaster risk.

"We have sent an early warning letter to the sub-district, village, kelurahan, Polsek, and Danramil officials in the face of bad weather that could lead to natural disasters," he explained.

He said that material losses due to natural disasters in Lebak Regency from January to October 2022 reached IDR 37 billion consisting of damage to houses, places of worship, and educational buildings IDR 9 billion, bridge and road infrastructure IDR 23 billion, socio-economic IDR 5 billion.

The Lebak Regency Government proposed assistance for the improvement of infrastructure facilities and relocation for disaster-affected communities to the central and provincial governments.

This is because, he said, if it is borne by the regional government, it will certainly not be able to realize the construction of these infrastructure facilities.

"We hope that the infrastructure development assistance can be realized as soon as possible by the central and provincial governments," he explained.

Meanwhile, the people of Bayah Sub-district, Lebak Regency, admitted that for the past two weeks they had crossed using a rubber boat raft after the bridge collapsed in a flash flood.

"We really want the Cimadur bridge to be rebuilt because it is crossed between villages," said Eman, a resident of Cimanyak Bayah, Lebak Regency.