Residents of 16 Villages May Return Home

Jakarta (Antara) - Residents of 16 villages may return home along with the lowering of the rumbling Mount Sinabung's alert status probably at the end of February, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). "The 16 villages are located in the four sub-districts of Payung, Simpang Empat, Namantran and Tiganderket. Residents of the villages may return home along with the lowering of Mount Sinabung's alert status," Head of BNPB Data and Information Center Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a press conference here on Sunday. Sutopo said the 16 villages include Cimbang, Ujung Payung, Payung, Rimo Kayu, Batu Karang, Jeraya, Pintu Besi, Pancur, Naman, Kuta Mbelin, Gung Pinto, Sukandebi, Tiganderket, Kuta Mbatu and Tanjung Merawa. Meanwhile, residents of 16 villages and two hamlets located in the "red zone" are not allowed to return home. The villages are Sukameriah, Guru Kinayan, Selandi, Berastepu, Gamber, Kuta Tengah, Bekerah, Simacem, Kutarayat, Sigaranggarang, Kuta Tonggal, Sukanalu, Kuta Gunung, Marinding, Temberun and Perbaji, while the hamlets are Sibintun and Lau Kawar. The evacuees will be sent home in three batches. The first batch covers 13,828 residents living outside 5-kilometer radius from the volcano's peak, the second batch includes 15,982 residents living within 3-5 km radius, and the third batch covers 1,109 families of Simacem, Bekerah, Sigaranggarang, Sukameriah Sukanalu villages. "The resettlement of victims is the last resort to handle the disaster," he said. He said each of the residents who belong to the first batch will receive labor-intensive assistance or cash for work assistance worth Rp50,000 per day for two months, living cost of Rp6,000, and 400 grams of rice per day from the Social Service Ministry. "Residents who do not take shelter receive cash for work assistance but they do not receive living cost," he said.(*)