JAKARTA/PATTANI • The Indonesian government has made preparations to deal with the potential hazards of floods and landslides as the country braces itself for heavy rainfall, which is estimated to sweep the country over the next three months.
The move came amid mounting concerns over Cyclone Cempaka, which hit the island of Java with heavy rain and wind earlier this week, causing floods and landslides that turned deadly in several areas on Tuesday.
Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Puan Maharani gathered a number of representatives from related ministries and state institutions in a meeting to discuss the risk of floods and landslides, particularly during peak rainfall in December, January and February.
Speaking after the meeting, Madam Puan said the govern-ment has been preparing for disaster mitigation.
"Local administrations will also be informed so they can start an-ticipating (floods and landslides) in the coming months of heavy rain," she said, adding that the Home Ministry was tasked with leading the campaign to disseminate information.
Floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Cempaka, which hit at least 13 villages in Pacitan, Kebonagung and Arjosari in East Java, have claimed 11 lives, with 4,000 people reportedly in dire need of evacuation.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had previously issued a warning of the cyclone hitting Java and Bali islands.
The cyclone's winds reached 65kmh on Tuesday, affecting at least 21 regencies and municipalities.
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21 Number of regencies and municipalities affected when the cyclone's winds reached 65kmh on Tuesday.
As the heavy rain and strong winds continued on Wednesday, floods and landslides occurred in dozens of villages in several municipalities in Central Java.
In Surakarta, hundreds of houses were inundated following heavy rainfall from Tuesday morning to dawn on Wednesday, causing thousands of residents to flee their homes for shelter.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has found that at least 60 million Indonesian citizens live in flood-prone areas, 40 million in landslide-prone areas and four million in tsunami-prone areas.
As of Nov 20, the BNPB recorded 545 landslides and 689 floods across the country, making the latter the most frequent natural disaster until almost the end of this year.
The agency has prepared many possible measures, ranging from an early warning system to emergency funds, to mitigate the effects of the disasters and to take care of residents who fell victim to floods and landslides, BNPB head Willem Rampangilei said.
"At the same time, we will conduct assessments of all damage (caused by the disasters) to accelerate the repair work," he said.
Social Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said her office has prepared 252 tonnes of rice to be delivered to shelters across the country to reach people affected by the floods and landslides across the country.
The BMKG has detected a potential new cyclone that has formed off the south-west of Bengkulu in the Indian Ocean, and is moving to the east toward West Java and Banten provinces.
"(The cyclone) is continuing to move to the east and probably will come to the south-west of Sukabumi in West Java, causing at least strong winds until Dec 2," BMKG researcher Muhammad Iip said.
Meanwhile, heavy floods also swept into southern Thailand this week killing five people, the authorities said yesterday as photos of waterlogged and damaged roads spread on social media.
The worst-hit provinces are located in the deep south on the border with Malaysia, a restive hot spot where Muslim insurgents have engaged in clashes with the central government. More than 380,000 people from eight southern provinces have been affected by the rising waters in the southern Thailand but no formal evacuation plan has been announced.
THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
