"I have conducted inspections in all of Indonesia`s provinces, and I can now assure you that we are ready to deal with the impact of natural disasters that may happen," Agung said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - All of Indonesia`s regions have prepared themselves to deal with natural disasters that may happen during the rainy season this year, Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono said.

"I have conducted inspections in all of Indonesia`s provinces, and I can now assure you that we are ready to deal with the impact of natural disasters that may happen," Agung said here on Wednesday after attending cabinet meeting led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Palace earlier in the day.

Agung said all disaster response actions would be coordinated by the Regional Post-Disaster Management Agency (BNPD) with full support from the National Post Disaster Management Agency.

The rainy season that has set in in almost all parts of Indonesia has already caused floods in some areas. Last Saturday (Dec 17) a flood destroyed six houses and a school building at Lidi village in East Nusa Tenggara province.

The flood followed more than eight hours of rain in the area, Head of the Sikka District Natural Disaster Mitigation Agency Heri Siko said.

A mother and her child went missing in the flood. By Sunday night they had not yet been found. Heri said the two were believed to have been carried away by floww water currents to the sea because their house was located on the Langga Liwu coast.

On the same day, a flood also hit four villages in Gunung Sahilan sub district, Kampar District, Riau Province, submerging 189 houses, 625 hectares of oilpalm plantations and 154 hectares of rubber plantations.

Some 624 people were evacuated to safer places by the local authorities. Roads connecting the four villages with Pekanbaru, Riau`s provincial capital, had also been flooded since Sunday. At least 1,000 locals would be affected because their livelihood depended on oilpalm plantations which are currently flooded.

Local authorities had provided emergency aid especially medicines for the flood victims.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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