BNPB Ensures Optimal Fulfilment of Basic Needs for Pasuruan Flood Victims

Pasuruan, East Java (ANTARA) - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has ensured that emergency handling for flood victims in Pasuruan Regency, East Java, is running optimally to fulfil the basic needs of the affected community. BNPB Chief Lieutenant General (Letjen) TNI Suharyanto, in Pasuruan on Friday, stated that combined teams of personnel and volunteers continue to strive to distribute food to residents in several flood-affected areas, particularly in Beji and Rejoso Sub-districts, which were the most severely impacted in this flooding event. “The fulfilment of basic community needs, such as the distribution of ready-to-eat meals, blankets, medicines, and other logistical aid, is being carried out well at evacuation posts as well as deliveries to residents who are holding out on the upper floors of their respective homes,” said Suharyanto. Suharyanto appreciated the prompt efforts of the Pasuruan Regency Government (Pemkab) in emergency handling by establishing disaster shelters or posts for community logistics. On the other hand, he noted that the flooding, especially in Beji Sub-district, still requires serious attention considering that some residential locations in points such as Kedungringin and Kedungboto Villages have lower ground elevations than the water level of the Wrati River that crosses the area. According to him, the central government through the Ministry of Public Works, the East Java Provincial Government (Pemprov Jatim), and Pemkab Pasuruan will soon hold a meeting to discuss long-term solutions to the problem. He assessed that long-term solutions that can be further discussed at the central level include the possibility of relocating settlements to engineering the flow of the Wrati River to prevent flooding from inundating residents’ homes again in the future. For information, the flooding in Pasuruan Regency occurred since Tuesday night (24/3) after the area was hit by heavy rain for several hours, resulting in thousands of residents’ homes in 11 sub-districts being inundated. As of Friday, the flooding still submerges several points, especially in Beji and Rejoso Sub-districts.