Central Java BPBD prioritises evacuation in handling Solo flood

Semarang (ANTARA) - The Central Java Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has stated that evacuation is the priority in handling the flooding that has occurred in the Solo Raya region. “Evacuation is the priority. We continue to move to rescue residents in flood-affected locations,” said the Acting Head of Central Java BPBD, Bergas Catursasi Penanggungan, in Semarang on Wednesday. He explained that his agency immediately coordinated across sectors as soon as the flooding occurred, with the rescue of residents as the primary priority in the emergency situation. A joint team consisting of district/city BPBD, volunteers, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), TNI, and Police has been deployed to the affected points. As of now, the evacuation process is still ongoing in line with increasing requests from the community, and several evacuation centres have been prepared in public facilities, such as mosques, community halls, and social buildings. “Evacuation requests are still ongoing. Although the rain has started to subside, water is still flowing to lower areas,” he said. To meet the basic needs of residents, Central Java BPBD is collaborating with the Social Affairs Office and Health Office in distributing aid, including ready-to-eat food, clean water, and health services, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children. In addition to focusing on evacuation, BPBD is also carrying out technical measures in the form of pumping at several puddle points, but this cannot yet be done maximally due to the high water level of the Bengawan Solo River. “Pumps have been operated in several locations, but they cannot be optimal yet because the condition of the main river is still high,” he said. Central Java BPBD is also coordinating with technical agencies, such as Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) and the River Basin Organisation (BBWS), to control water flow and accelerate comprehensive flood handling. According to him, the flooding that occurred was triggered by high rainfall intensity as well as an increase in the discharge of the Bengawan Solo River and its tributaries, such as the Jenes River and Pepe River. In the future, BPBD encourages long-term measures in the form of river normalisation, as well as the construction of water retention areas to reduce the risk of recurrent flooding. “The hope is that there are water retention areas, so that rainwater flow does not directly enter the river. This is important to reduce the burden when the discharge is high,” he said.