Land transfers in West Bandung, BNPB chief: Affected residents receive temporary funds for house rental

MidLand, Jakarta – Head National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB)Suharyanto, called for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the residences of residents of Cibedug village, West Bandung regency, which had been affected moving ground accelerated. This geological phenomenon has forced dozens of families to leave their homes. “The emergency response should not take too long,” he said in a written statement from the West Java BPBD on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.

Suharyanyo assured that residents whose homes have not yet been rebuilt will receive funds to rent a house while waiting. She discussed land movement and landslide management in a coordination meeting with regional officials and heads of related agencies, as well as researchers Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG). The meeting also involved the survivors.

Three agreements emerged from the meeting. First, the affected location will certainly be uninhabitable and the community will have to move to a new location. The second decision concerns monitoring the conditions of the river so that it does not narrow. The reason is that landslides can cause flash floods. The third conclusion is an effort to prevent people from other areas from coming to see the affected locations.

Since Sunday evening, February 18, 2024, the ground in Pasirgombong RW 03, Cibedug village, has been shifting, causing landslides after a long period of heavy rain. Around 10pm WIB that day, the ground in several places in the village cracked and cracked.

The accident damaged and endangered more than 40 homes and an elementary school building. According to the latest data from the West Bandung Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), there are 151 refugees from 47 families who are now taking shelter in the Rongga Islamic Center building.

The location of the moving terrain is a rolling hill

The acting head of the Geological Agency, M. Wafid, estimates that the moving soil in Cibedug village is in the form of termites. The relatively slow movement of the ground is evidenced by the presence of cracks and settlements on the ground surface.

Announcement

The geological agency sent an emergency response team from the earthmoving works division to the disaster site to analyze the potential for subsequent landslides. The analysis is expected to run until March 7, 2024.

Using PVMBG data, Wafid said the disaster site consisted of rolling hills with mild to steep slopes. The place of ground movement is at an altitude of 990 meters above sea level. The Rongga district, according to these notes, is included in the zone of potential medium and high altitude ground movement.

“In this area, if rainfall is higher than normal, ground movement can occur. “In the meantime the old earthworks can be active again,” she said.

To prevent further landslides, the PVMBG recommends relocating residents to safe locations, especially as ground movements continue to develop. The special unit of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) also suggested improving surface water channels, so that they are more waterproof and can cope with increased water discharge when it rains.

Cracks around the slope, according to PVMBG advice, can be covered with earth and compacted. The goal is to reduce water seepage into the soil and keep the flow away from cracks. Socialization relating to the phenomenon of land movement is also important.

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