As floods hit regions in the northern coast of Central Java, Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) forecast the rainy season in the province would reach its peak in January and February.

Agency head Dwikorita Karnawati said the region could also potentially face high tides and strong winds.

The north coast of Central Java has been hit with floods over the start of the new year.

According to Central Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), heavy rainfall from Friday to Saturday battered north coasts of Central Java, causing inundation reaching up to 50 to 75 centimeters deep in several areas of Tegal, Pekalongan, Kendal, Kudus, Demak, Pati and Grobogan regencies as well as Pekalongan and Semarang municipalities.

Tawang Station in Semarang was also inundated from the flood, halting train operations at the station.

On Monday, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Suharyanto visited the provincial capital of Semarang and met with the Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo, regents, mayors and administrative officials.

During the meeting the BNPB handed over Rp 4.25 billion (US$272,174) to help mitigate the impacts of the floods in 13 regencies and municipalities of Central Java.

Each regency and city was given Rp 250 million and the Central Java administration received Rp 1 billion to help with disaster mitigation

The BNPB head also handed logistical aids worth Rp 1.5 billion for the regions affected.

“Citizens’ safety is the highest law [...] We must immediately fulfill the basic needs of the people who are suffering [from the floods],” Suharyanto said.

He also called for the Central Java administration to start planning for rehabilitation and reconstruction projects to prevent floods when intense rain occurred again in the region.

Limited capacity

Separately, Central Java BPBD head of emergency management division Dikki Rulli Perkasa said that floods in the region were caused by the limited-drainage capacity, especially when heavy rains on the island are coupled with high tides.

“We had to accept the water that could not easily flow into the sea, thus causing inundation that lasted for quite a while,” Dikki said in an online briefing on Tuesday.

As flood waters started to recede in some areas, the government has conducted weather modification to reduce rain intensity.

Since Sunday, the BNPB and the BMKG have operated an Indonesian Military Casa airplane for the weather modification around Central Java.

“We will spread out salt over the Java Sea so clouds will have to release their rain before entering [inland] Central Java.

“We cannot prevent [rain] but we hope that we can reduce the intensity of rain from heavy to moderate, and moderate to light,” Dwikorita said.

Between Dec. 26 to 31, BNPB recorded 46 natural disasters, mostly hydrometeorological, such as floods and extreme weather events, with the government trying to mitigate them by weather modification or rain seeding.

BNPB’s spokesman Abdul Muhari said that the BMKG had already warned of the potential for extreme-weather conditions disasters might occur during the period.

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post)

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