“I am sure all regional heads are paying attention to this. President Prabowo Subianto has also ordered an immediate resolution to this problem,” he said during his visit to the evacuation post in Banjar Tohpati, Denpasar, Bali, on Friday.
During his visit, Gibran acknowledged that Bali’s massive and rapid development has contributed to the land conversion problem.
He urged the regional government to pay closer attention to water catchment areas as well as drainage and sanitation management.
“We should prioritize post-incident recovery, especially in the tourism sector, to recover immediately,” he added.
At the evacuation post, residents from the Siulan Road area in Denpasar complained about a developer’s project that had ignored environmental concerns and the need to optimize the drainage system.
“The most important thing is to find a solution to the flooding. Please pay attention and provide input from experts regarding irrigation,” one evacuee said during a dialogue with the vice president.
Responding to the concerns, Denpasar Mayor I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara explained that his administration had already made drainage improvements.
However, he noted that large amounts of trash and even a vehicle stuck in the water channel during the flood had worsened the overflow.
“We have repaired the drainage along the river, but a car was stuck in the gutter, and trash also caused blockages,” he said.
As of Friday morning, the Bali Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) announced that fatalities from the floods had reached 18.
“The total number of deaths is 18, with 12 from Denpasar City, three from Gianyar District, two from Jembrana District, and one from Badung District,” said Bali BPBD Head I Gede Agung Teja Bhusana Yadnya.
The hydrometeorological disaster followed more than 24 hours of heavy rain beginning Tuesday (September 9).
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported rainfall of 385 millimeters—equivalent to a full month’s accumulation.
Related news: Deadly Bali floods: Govt agencies unite to speed up recovery
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Translator: Dewa Ketut S W, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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