Puan pushes for a single disaster management command in Indonesia
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) Puan Maharani is pushing for disaster management in Indonesia to be placed under a single leadership capable of unifying the steps of ministries, agencies and regional governments.
“This is a step towards building national preparedness in facing disasters, including areas that require strengthening and more anticipatory measures,” said Puan after a plenary session at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Puan said that Indonesia lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, and therefore requires disaster mitigation and anticipation carried out in an integrated manner.
According to her, a single leadership in disaster management is needed to strengthen national preparedness in facing various disaster threats.
Puan is also urging the government to ensure that protection standards for communities apply across all disaster-prone areas.
Such protection, she said, ranges from the timeliness of early warnings, the speed of evacuating residents to safe locations, the availability of basic necessities, to guarantees of healthcare and education services.
“As well as ensuring that families who lose their income receive a lifeline,” she said.
Beyond government preparedness, Puan said that communities need continuous education on disaster mitigation and the ability to verify information in order to prevent panic.
According to her, mitigation education is necessary to minimise the risk of casualties when disasters occur.
“The safety of the public must be the top priority, so all policies and actions taken must be directed towards that,” she said.
Puan’s statement was made amid rising activity at a number of volcanoes in Indonesia in recent times.
The eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait caused volcanic ash to spread to several areas on the islands of Java and Sumatra, disrupting flight operations.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded that ash from Mount Anak Krakatau at one point led to the temporary closure of eight airports.
On Tuesday (8/9), a number of previously affected airports began resuming operations after verification showed that airspace and runway areas were safe from volcanic ash material.
Besides Anak Krakatau, several other volcanoes were recorded as erupting or showing increased activity within a short period, including Mount Semeru in East Java, Mount Ili Lewotolok and Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Nusa Tenggara, Mount Ibu in North Maluku, and Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra.