BNPB urges people to prepare for flood mitigation

Jakarta (ANTARA) - A resident passed through a portal during a flood that inundated Pondok Maharta Residence in Pondok Kacang, South Tangerang, Banten province on Tuesday (February 25, 2020). ANTARA PHOTO/Rivan Awal Lingga/YAS

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) urged people to prepare for mitigation of possible floods triggered by heavy rains expected until Wednesday, February 26, in some provinces in Indonesia.

"According to weather forecasts issued by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), heavy rain could still occur in Banten, Jakarta and West Java," BNPB spokesperson Agus Wibowo stated in a press release received here Tuesday. BMKG earlier forecast some heavy rains in provinces of Banten, DKI Jakarta and West Java, from 7.00 a.m. (local time) Tuesday, to 7.00 a.m. (local time), Wednesday, February 26.

Apart from those three provinces, heavy rains also expected to occur in other provinces, such as Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and Bengkulu.

"Heavy rains are also expected in South Sumatra, Lampung, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, South Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, and Central Sulawesi," Wibowo stated.

He also appealed to the public to pay attention to drainage and water management in surrounding areas to reduce the possibility of losses that can arise from heavy rain.

Besides, waste management in the residential area should also be a public concern since it is one of the factors that cause floods in some areas in Indonesia, Wibowo emphasized.

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