Pemerintah Normalisasi Sungai Pascabanjir Di Parigi Moutong

PALU - The government has begun to normalize rivers and waterways after the flood hit two sub-districts in Parigi Moutong Regency, Central Sulawesi.

"The normalization process is ongoing in a number of rivers in Balinggi and Torue sub-districts," said Head of Emergency and Logistics Division of the Parigi Moutong Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Amiruddin as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, June 6.

He stated that river normalization is one of the priorities currently being carried out in addition to meeting the basic needs of flood victims.

The results of the government's study, he said, were flooded due to the broken embankment in a number of rivers so that mud and wood material hit residential areas.

"Three agencies took the role of normalization activities, namely BPBD Parigi Moutong, BPBD Central Sulawesi Province, and Sulawesi River Basin Center (BWSS) III, and the three of them have been divided into working areas," he said.

He explained the normalization of the Purwokerto River, the Balinggi Jati Village watershed (DAS), and other villages in Balinggi District that experienced broken embankments were carried out by the Central Sulawesi BPBD.

The handling of the Taman Sari disposal channel in Balinggi Jati Village is handled by BPBD Parigi Moutong, including the Tolai River in Torue District and the handling of the river in Gitgit Hamlet, Balinggi Village by BWSS III.

"Collaboration like this is important, so that conditions recover quickly and no longer pose a threat to local residents if there is heavy rain at any time with a long duration," he said.

According to a local BPBD study, Parigi Moutong is prone to hydrometeorological disasters, in the form of floods, due to geographical factors, because this area has many watersheds.

In the flood incident, the area was severely affected in Balinggi District. Temporary data from the local BPBD, around 3,555 people or 1,082 families (KK) were affected by the disaster and currently around 41 residents are displaced.

"In the 14-day emergency response period, we focus on meeting the basic needs of the affected residents," he said.