Bekasi Regency Sets Drought Disaster Emergency Status Until September 13

Meikarta vertical residence in Cibatu Village, South Cikarang District, Bekasi Regency, West Java. (ANTARA-Pradita K S).

BEKASI - The Bekasi Regency Government (Pemkab) has declared an emergency status for drought in Bekasi Regency following the increasing expansion of the affected areas.

Bekasi Regent Dani Ramdan said the status of the original drought alert was an effort to accelerate the handling of aid.

"With this status in effect, the Bekasi Regent Decree No. HK.02.02/Kep.528-BPBD/2023 concerning the Status of the Drought Disaster Emergency Alert Status in Bekasi Regency is revoked and declared invalid," he said. Cikarang, Bekasi Regency, Thursday 31 August, confiscated by Antara.

The determination of this disaster status follows the issuance of the Bekasi Regent Decree (SK) No. HK.02.02/Kep.567-BPBD/2023 regarding the emergency response status of drought in Bekasi Regency. The decree comes into effect today

"This emergency response status is valid for the next 14 days, starting from August 31 to September 13, 2023 and can be extended or shortened according to the need for disaster emergency response in the field," he said.

He explained, through this increase in disaster status, related regional apparatus has easy access in human resource direction, equipment, clean water resources, to issues of licensing and procurement of goods and services as well as money and or goods management.

"The ease of access as referred to is coordinated by the Head of the Bekasi Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency," he said.

Dani also stated that all costs incurred due to the implementation of this decision were borne by the Bekasi Regency Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) for Fiscal Year 2023 and other legitimate and non-binding sources of funds.

"With the emergency response status, we can use BTT funds (unexpected costs) both from the Bekasi Regency APBD and West Java Provincial APBD assistance and the APBN," he said.

The Head of the Bekasi District Disaster Management Agency, Muchlis, said that the drought in Bekasi Regency has now spread to 23 villages with a total of nine sub-districts. A total of 25,204 people out of 6,675 families affected by this disaster.

He detailed that the areas affected by drought include four villages in Cibarusah District, including Ridogalih Village, Ridomanah, Sirnajati, and Cibarusah City Village. Six villages in Bojongmangu District, respectively, Karangindah Village, Medalkrisna, Karangmulya, Bojongmangu, Sukabungah, and Sukamukti Village also experienced similar conditions.

Then six villages throughout Serang Baru sub-districts namely Nagasari, Sukasari, Sukaragam, Sirnajaya, Nagacipta, and Cilangkara villages. Kedung Pengawas and Muarabakti villages in Babelan sub-district also experienced drought.

Five other areas are spread across five sub-districts of Samudra Jaya Village in Tarumajaya District, Harapan Jaya Village, Muaragembong District, Karang Segar Village, Pebayuran District, Cicau Village, Central Cikarang District, and Sukararingin Village in Sukawangi District.

Meanwhile, Head of Emergency and Logistics at BPBD Bekasi Regency, Dodi Supriyadi, said that his party continues to optimize the process of collecting data, mapping, and distributing clean water assistance and water jerry cans with a capacity of 20 liters to affected residents.

Based on the results of the mapping, the main needs of residents affected by drought include clean water, shelter tubs, water jerry cans, to requests for connecting PDAM pipelines.

"Since last week we have started routinely distributing clean water assistance with an allocation of 30,000 liters per day. To date, 375,000 liters have been distributed, including distribution from PDAM Tirta Bhagasasi in the Bojongmangu District area," he said.