At the Cariu evacuation post, electricity from solar panel is also used to keep frozen food and other ready-to-eat food
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Social Affairs has installed solar panels to fulfill the electricity needs of earthquake refugees in Cianjur district, West Java.

The installation of the solar panels was ordered by Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini considering that the electricity source and network in the region were damaged in the recent earthquake, head of the ministry's 'Kartini' disabilities center in Temanggung and coordinator of the Jagaraksa field evacuation post in Cianjur, Rachmat Koesnadi, said.

"The minister immediately instructed the installation of solar panels, although the number is still limited, they are very helpful during an emergency while waiting for PLN's electricity to resume operation," he informed in a statement received here on Wednesday.

The ministry has installed four solar panels with a capacity of 2 thousand watts to support public kitchen lighting as the kitchen set up at the site operates from 2 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time, he added.

The entire field has also been lit up with the installation of several small panels between evacuation tents as street lights, Koesnadi said.

At another evacuation site, the ministry's basic needs fulfillment sub-coordinator and functional social worker at the Ciputri village evacuation post, Fahri Isnanta, informed that the solar panel installation has helped people, especially those from vulnerable groups, feel safer while using public facilities provided at the evacuation post at night.

"With the existence of solar panel, Psychosocial Support Service Activities (LDP) can also continue to be carried out at night, especially for fathers who are not in the evacuation post during the day and children who attend emergency schools in the morning. With this solar panel, we can carry out congregational prayer activities, lectures, and community group discussions," Isnanta said.

Solar panel installation can ease the existing power load and reduce the cost of electricity used in refugee camps, and the money can be optimized for other refugees' needs, he added.

One of the volunteers at the Cariu Mangunkerta evacuation post, Gunawan, said that socialization and awareness building on the use of solar panels must be encouraged. Apart from being environmentally friendly, they are also cheap and durable. Further, solar panels must be maintained together to prevent theft.

"At the Cariu evacuation post, electricity from solar panel is also used to keep frozen food and other ready-to-eat food. This is useful to keep the ingredients fresh," he added.

However, several obstacles are being faced by the Cariu evacuation post since it is located in the highlands where there is a lack of sunlight. Therefore, the use of solar panels cannot be optimized.

So far, the ministry has provided 15 solar panels to 5 evacuation posts. In the future, the ministry plans to provide more solar panels, especially for evacuation posts in areas with sufficient intensity of sunlight.

Related news: Cianjur: Social Service establishes 14 public kitchens
Related news: NFA builds public kitchen to serve quake victims balanced meals
Related news: PMI to build 500 temporary housing units for quake victims

Translator: Devi Nindy Sari R, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2022