"We are adding the weather modification operation. This flood was caused by water flow from the upstream, where the downstream region also continues to (see) rain. This rainfall must be reduced," he informed at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He informed that the weather modification will be carried out by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
More specifically, the DKI Jakarta provincial government could also carry out modifications in its area, which has been severely affected by flooding due to the heavy rain intensity of late, he said.
According to Pratikno, the OMC will be carried out till the second week of March 2025, based on the BMKG's forecasts of continued heavy rainfall until then.
"Until the second week of March, rain will continue to pour, and it is predicted to be heavy. Therefore, we will try to reduce (the intensity of the rain)," he said.
Besides weather modification, the government will focus on assisting affected communities by providing food and health services.
The minister said that the government will also repair public facilities such as houses of worship and roads, considering both are important during the Ramadan month.
"We are currently focusing on rapid handling to save the community. We have coordinated the needs of each location," Pratikno said.
According to the BMKG, floodwaters reaching a height of 1–4 meters have flowed downstream from the Ciliwung river basin (DAS) in Puncak, Bogor, to several areas in Bekasi, Jakarta, and Depok. The region has been hit by rain for several days.
Deputy for meteorology at the BMKG, Guswanto, on Tuesday said that the heavy rain witnessed in Bogor city on Sunday night can be classified as extreme since the rain intensity exceeded 110 mm in one day.
The extreme rain intensity is believed to have caused the Ciliwung River watershed to overflow, causing flash floods upstream in several sub-districts of Bogor city and Bogor district, and major floods downstream in Jakarta, Depok, Bekasi, and Tangerang.
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Translator: Livia Kristianti, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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