The regional government should truly ensure the availability of basic needs required by the people affected by the flood whether it is logistics or other equipment.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Head Suharyanto, in a written statement received here, Saturday, urged the Sintang district government in West Kalimantan to ensure that the flood victims' basic needs were fulfilled.

"The district government should truly ensure the availability of basic needs required by the people affected by the flood whether it is logistics or other equipment," he noted.

Earlier, Suharyanto, who was recently inaugurated by President Joko Widodo, immediately headed to monitor the handling of floods in Sintang to observe the development there and ensure that the emergency response proceeded well.

He called for all officials of the Sintang district government to prepare short- and long-term plans.

The short-term plan involving emergency handling should be implemented in accordance with Law No. 24 of 2007 on Disaster Mitigation.

Meanwhile, the long-term plan entails the formulation of policies and efforts to recover the environmental condition in the upstream area to return it to the way it is supposed to be.

According to BNPB's record, no floods occurred in Sintang from 1990 to 2010. However, such changes due to environmental destruction had been occurring since the last decade.

Diminishing environmental support power became one of the causative factors behind flooding, as areas that absorb water had been destroyed and their function had changed.

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"We called for cooperation between the governments of Sintang District and West Kalimantan Province as well as the BNPB to formulate and make efforts to prevent this flood from recurring in future," Suharyanto affirmed.

In addition, collective awareness and synergy is required from all parties, such as the government, community, academicians, the public, business world, and mass media, or what is known as the pentahelix component.

"Our presence from the central government is because we care about Sintang District. We also expect to soon tackle the flood situation in Sintang," he expounded.

He also requested to maintain health protocols during the emergency handling of floods, especially in handling affected residents and other survivors.

"This is because the people's lives are our main priority. We know the slogan that the highest law is the people's safety," he affirmed.

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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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