Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo, while leading a disaster preparedness exercise on Tuesday, said the preparations cover various regions across Indonesia, particularly disaster-prone areas such as West Java.
“We are checking our equipment and flood control materials because the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) has warned that extreme weather conditions are expected. We must be prepared,” he said.
He emphasized that preparedness goes beyond equipment availability and also involves cross-agency coordination with the BMKG, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), and local governments.
According to him, coordination is crucial to ensure that disaster response efforts can be carried out swiftly, accurately, and without any communication barriers.
The minister noted that disaster preparedness is one of the ministry’s core responsibilities and stressed the importance of a rapid and precise response to public reports.
To ensure efficiency, the ministry has established a 24/7 operational mechanism to guarantee that all equipment and resources remain ready for immediate deployment.
The ministry will also provide a call center to facilitate public reporting of disaster situations and direct requests for assistance.
“We will widely disseminate this information through social media and local government channels so that communication with communities can run more smoothly,” Hanggodo said.
Earlier, BNPB had urged local governments to strengthen mitigation and emergency response measures to address potential hydrometeorological disasters, which are likely to occur during the seasonal transition period in various regions.
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Translator: Maria, Kenzu
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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