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View all search resultsIt has been almost seven months since the Situ Gintung dam burst on March 27 sweeping away hundreds of houses and killing at least 100 people, but there is still no certainty about the distribution of donated relief funds to reportedly around 600 families forced to live in temporary shelters
t has been almost seven months since the Situ Gintung dam burst on March 27 sweeping away hundreds of houses and killing at least 100 people, but there is still no certainty about the distribution of donated relief funds to reportedly around 600 families forced to live in temporary shelters.
Cecep, a survivor of the flash flood who now lives at the Wisma Kerta Mukti shelter said each family had only received Rp 500,000 (US$52) from the administration before the Idul Fitri holiday.
"We are very disappointed with the local administration because we have received no explanation as to how long we are to wait for the distribution of the remaining funds," he told The Jakarta Post recently.
He said none of the flood victims had been informed when reconstruction of the flattened and damaged houses was to begin despite the fact the administration had promised to help build the houses.
The central government and the local administration have promised to dole out Rp 30 million ($3,200) to victims whose houses were severely damaged, Rp 15 million ($1,600) for those suffering medium-scale damage and Rp 5 million ($530) for houses that suffered minor damage.
"The administration has also promised to provide compensation to families who lost loved ones and to those that were injured in the calamity," he said.
Mulyadi, another victim, called on the administration to immediately hand over relief funds so that victims could rebuild their houses or buy new houses elsewhere.
"We sent a letter to the administration on Oct. 6 after we learned the number flood victims had doubled from 314 to 600 families. We are still waiting for a response *from the administration*," Mulyadi said.
He said the increase in the number of the victims had caused confusion among the 314 families taking shelter at the Wisma Kerta Mukti shelter.
South Tangerang' acting mayor MH. Shaleh said earlier that donated relief funds amounted to Rp 6.7 billion ($710,000).
The burst dam drew instant attention from various parties, from philanthropists to political parties that were at the height of their legislative campaigns when the disaster struck.
"We have channeled Rp 300 million ($32,000) to 600 families ahead of the Idul Fitri celebration" Shaleh said.
Shaleh did not explain why the official number of victims in the shelters was double the actual number as reported by the victims.
Since the Situ Gintung tragedy each family has been provided a 20-square-meter room to live in, while washing facilities and toilets are in outhouses.
Meanwhile, Ahadi, South Tangerang deputy mayor and deputy chairman of Situ Gintung Disaster Handling said his administration had stumbled into regulation from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) when trying to distribute the funds.
Ahadi said that his administration had not received the green light from the BPK to channel the rest of the funds.
Ahadi, however, fell short of explaining the regulation required by the BPK.
He did not mention when the victims would receive the funds.
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