BNPB: Semarang Floods Will Be Addressed Holistically

Semarang (ANTARA) – The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) says floods in several areas of Semarang, Central Java, caused by the breaching of the Plumbon River embankment will be addressed comprehensively. BNPB chief Suharyanto in Semarang on Tuesday said the government is preparing short-term (emergency) and long-term responses to the Plumbon River embankment breach. The step is a collaboration among the Semarang City Government, the Central Java Provincial Government, BNPB, and the Balai Besar Wilayah Sungai (BBWS). He said this when inspecting the breach site, which was followed by a limited meeting with Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi, Jateng Secretary Sumarno, Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti, and BBWS Pemali-Juana head Sudarto. The breach has been temporarily mitigated and will be resolved permanently later. ‘The Central Java provincial government and the Semarang City Government, in collaboration with BBWS, will acquire land to widen the river so that a similar incident does not recur at the same location,’ Suharyanto said. He added that all disaster-affected residents have been adequately cared for, including those who evacuated to relatives’ homes, whose basic needs have also been met. After basic needs are met, the next step is to prepare housing for flood-affected residents, beginning with locating suitable sites and calculating the housing needs by the Semarang City Government. He said temporary shelters (huntara) will be built by BNPB, and there are already many examples in other parts of Central Java. For residents who do not wish to stay in huntara, they will be registered and provided with IDR 600,000 per month until permanent housing is completed. ‘Only then will permanent housing be considered, especially for people who can no longer remain in their original location due to potential recurrence of disasters,’ Suharyanto said.