Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo on Monday visited a site in Sirnagalih village, Cianjur district, West Java province, where at least 200 earthquake-resistant homes will be constructed for victims of the recent 5.6-magnitude earthquake.

“So, this is the location for the first relocation. Here will soon be built about 200 houses. We already have examples of earthquake-resistant houses,” he said after inspecting the site on Monday.

The government is also preparing to build 1,600 similar homes in other locations, he informed.

During the relocation, priority will be given to residents whose homes were at the epicenter of the earthquake, especially in Cugenang sub-district.

"The location of the house that was at the epicenter of the earthquake, especially in Cugenang, will be moved here and to the second location earlier," Widodo said.

Meanwhile, to residents who are not relocated, the government will provide assistance commensurate to the level of damage to their residential properties: Rp50 million for heavily damaged houses, Rp25 million for moderately damaged houses, and Rp10 million for lightly damaged houses.

Further, houses that have suffered heavy damage will either be rebuilt or their owners relocated, the President informed.

"For houses that were heavily damaged, some will be relocated, some will not. If the house is in a dangerous place, on a fault line, the house will be moved," he said.

"Meanwhile, for houses that are in a place that is not dangerous, it will be built in the same place," he added.

In the meantime, Director General for Housing at the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), Iwan Suprijanto, informed that houses at the 2.5-hectare relocation site will be built using earthquake-resistant housing technology, or the Simple Healthy Instant House (Risha).

Each of the 36-type houses will be built on an area of 75 square meters.

"We started this construction 10 days after the disaster occurred," Suprijanto informed.

"(It was carried out) after the land was declared clear and clean, based on the technical justification from the Geology Agency, and BMKG, then spatially this is in accordance with spatial plan for the residential area and justification from PUPR Ministry to build in this location," he said.

At the phase one relocation site, the construction of 80 of the first 200 units is targeted to be completed by the end of December 2022, Suprijanto said.

Meanwhile, the remaining 120 units are targeted to be completed by no later than the third week of January 2023, so that by the end of January, all the houses can be occupied.

"Thank God, besides the land being relatively easy to access and flat, the drinking water network and electricity network are also available; they just need to be connected to households," he said.

"We have coordinated to provide electricity at this location, so that by the end of January, we hope these houses are ready for occupancy," he added.

During the visit, the President was joined by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (PMK), Muhadjir Effendy; Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto; PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono; and head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Suharyanto.

Deputy Governor of West Java, Uu Ruzhanul Ulum, and Cianjur District Head Herman Suherman also accompanied the president on the visit.

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Translator: Indra Arief Pribadi, Katriana
Editor: Sri Haryati
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