Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno instructed all regional governments to assess the reliability of public infrastructure in their respective areas to anticipate the risk of hydrometeorological disasters.
"We would like to call on district and municipal governments to immediately inspect physical infrastructure. It is vital to ensure that no drainage canals are clogged," he remarked at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, on Thursday.
Pratikno also pushed local governments to comprehensively check the operability of disaster early warning systems in their respective regions.
Furthermore, the coordinating minister highlighted the need for regional governments to mobilize their institutions, the police, and community organizations to boost residents' preparedness and alertness to potential disasters.
"Inspecting physical infrastructure, mobilizing personnel, and communicating with the public are required to anticipate disasters," he pointed out.
Citing the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Pratikno noted that increased sea temperature has caused stormy rains in several regions of Indonesia.
On that note, Pratikno underscored that the government had implemented weather modification techniques to reduce rainfall intensity.
"Such measures have been conducted in West Java, Central Java, and East Java. We will also take such anticipatory actions in South Sulawesi," he stated.
The minister further noted that his office had convened and coordinated with provincial, district, and municipal governments in various regions to boost the nation's preparedness for possible disasters that could hit Indonesia before and during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
"I have recently held a coordination meeting in East Java to discuss viable ways to mitigate hydrometeorological disasters. I am planning for a similar meeting in Semarang, Central Java, tomorrow morning," he expounded.
He also emphasized the importance of ensuring safe sea voyages for people planning to travel during the year-end holidays.
"It is vital that we use larger ships to anticipate huge sea waves. The government has been pushing for special attention to the preparation of travel routes for the holidays," he concluded.
