Govt identifies landslide areas

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post/Bandung

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will soon issue a map showing areas prone to landslides on Java, as the rainy season gains momentum in several parts of the country.

"The map will be made available to the public in the middle of this month," said Surono, Director of Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation at the ministry.

He said the new map was a revised edition of an earlier map drawn up by the directorate in the 1990s.

Surono said a recent survey conducted by 20 researchers discovered additional areas prone to landslides, which had been incorporated in the new map. The new map shows some 1,000 districts on Java that had a high incidence of landslides, he said.

"Almost all landslide-prone areas are located in southern Java. The area is home to many volcanoes, which makes the soil unstable," said Surono.

Of great concern are the densely populated territories susceptible to landslides, as and it is feared that a disaster in such areas would cause a high death toll.

Surono said researchers focused on Java, which was an immediate priority because of its large population: Some 60 percent of the Indonesian population live on Java.

The directorate has also started to produce a map on landslide-prone areas on Sumatra, the second most heavily populated island in Indonesia.

Surono added that the new map on landslide hotspots on Java had been distributed to regional governments prior to Idul Fitri, when many people traveled home to celebrate the holiday, so government officials could ensure the safety of travelers.

"Armed with the map, the government was able to set up an early warning system for people who traveled home during Idul Fitri, so they could avoid potential landslides," he said.

Due to a shortage of funds, the directorate will not provide free copies of the map to the public. However, the map can be procured for Rp 250,000 (US$27.70) each.

"If the public is interested in the map, they can make copies themselves," he said.

The issuance of the map is timely as the rainy season gains full force and landslides have begun to take their toll in several parts of the country, including on Java.

Four people were killed last month by landslides in Tarakan, East Kalimantan, and Kerinci, Jambi. Another landslide hit an area between Ciganea and Sukatani in West Java, delaying trains for four hours along the busy route connecting Bandung and Jakarta.