Jember, Jawa Timur (ANTARA) - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has urged the district and city governments along the southern part of East Java to strengthen earthquake and tsunami disaster mitigation.
"Over the last five years, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has recorded an increase in seismic activity in the area," Parawansa said while visiting an earthquake-affected area in Ambulu sub-district, Jember district, on Saturday.
Based on data from the BMKG, from 2013 to 2015, earthquakes of different magnitudes occurred less than 230 times per year in East Java, but from 2016 to 2020, the number of earthquakes increased to more than 450 times a year, with the highest frequency of 655 recorded in 2016, she noted.
"I urge regional heads to immediately conduct a feasibility audit of building and infrastructure construction and prepare a proper and adequate evacuation route," she added.
Strengthening disaster prevention and mitigation must be done to minimize the impact of any earthquake or tsunami hitting the southern part of East Java, the Governor said.
The local government must immediately prepare an action plan with several scenarios, from mild to worst, she advised. The plan must include evacuation routes, evacuation processes, and guidelines for handling refugees if a disaster occurs, she added.
In addition to mitigation, it is also necessary to strengthen community disaster literacy to educate people about disaster prevention and mitigation, she said.
"The community must understand that if an area has the potential for a tsunami, an earthquake actually becomes an early warning system (EWS). So, socialization about disaster mitigation must be increased to educate the community," Parawansa added.
The governor also spoke with local residents whose homes were damaged in the quake. She assured them that the government will immediately repair homes and public facilities affected by the earthquake.
"We will coordinate with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) regarding data for damaged houses' reparation," she said.
Parawansa also provided assistance to the Jember district government for people affected by the quake. The assistance included Rp500 million in funds, 40 blankets, 200 packages of staple needs, 30 boxes of instant noodles, 30 boxes of mineral water, and 25 packages of clothing.
Head of the BMKG's Technical Seismology Center, Rakhmat Triyono, head of Jember district, Hendy Siswanto, Jember Military District Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Laode Muhammad Nurdin, and Jember Police chief, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Arif Rahman Arifin, accompanied her during the visit.
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