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Jakarta Post

Residents to be relocated from landslide danger zones

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said on Tuesday that his administration was looking for the right location to relocate those living in landslide red zones, following a devastating landslide that struck a hamlet in Banjarnegara regency recently

Suherdjoko and Agus Maryono (The Jakarta Post)
Banjarnegara, Central Java
Wed, December 17, 2014

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Residents to be relocated from landslide danger zones

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entral Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said on Tuesday that his administration was looking for the right location to relocate those living in landslide red zones, following a devastating landslide that struck a hamlet in Banjarnegara regency recently.

'€œWe call it local transmigration,'€ Ganjar said.

The governor said the administration was working with Yogyakarta-based Gajah Mada University (UGM) to map the vulnerable areas in Central Java.

The landslide that struck Jemblung hamlet in Sampang, Karangkobar district in Banjarnegara has claimed 64 lives, with 44 people still missing. Search for the missing victims continues.

Data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) showed that among the areas vulnerable to landslides in the province were those in the regencies of Purbalingga, Banjarnegara, Karanganyar, Wonosobo, Temanggung, Cilacap, Grobogan, Pemalang, Brebes and Pekalongan, among others.

With a population of around 1.2 million, Banjarnegara is divided into 20 districts and 266 subdistricts. Most of its districts are hilly areas that are vulnerable to landslides. Of all of its 20 districts, only three are deemed safe from landslides.

Landslides affect a number of regions in Banjarnegara every rainy season.

At least 400 people in the regency have been buried alive in landslides over the past 10 years. Most were residents of the two neighboring districts of Karangkobar and Banjarmangu. Both districts are located in hilly areas, with extreme tilts.

A total of more than 1,000 landslides have hit the regency in the past decade. Among the worst was one in 2006, in Sijeruk subdistrict, Banjarmangu, which buried 240 people and left 97 survivors.

Residents of Karangkobar district have been told to increase their awareness, as more landslides could hit neighboring areas following last week'€™s landslide in Jemblung.

UGM'€™s team revealed that a crack in the ground was found in Tanggapan forest above the Telagalele hill that collapsed, burying Jemblung village.

Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) soil movement mitigation subdivision head Kristianto said the crack had spread to the villages of Krakal and Tanggapan Bawah in Slatri subdistrict, Karangkobar, posing the threat of bigger landslides in both areas.

Kristianto also said that following the landslide in Jemblung, a pool measuring some 30 square meters and a meter deep was formed. '€œIf this fills with water, this will cause a bigger landslide,'€ he said.

Slatri subdistrict head Irawan said he had warned his people to be aware of the situation and be ready to evacuate at any time.

Separately, Banjarnegara 0704 Military District Commander Lt. Col. Inf. Edy Rochmatullah said the access road to Karangkobar from Banjarnegara had been cleared of debris.

Sanitary facilities for evacuees had also been built by a group of 25 marines from Jakarta at the evacuation center in Ngaliyan village, Ambal subdistrict, Karangkobar.

In the evacuation center, volunteers were also seen helping affected children overcome any trauma they had suffered as a result of the landslide.

'€œSome of them have lost brothers, sisters and even parents. We took them from the evacuation center so they can return to their activities as usual,'€ said volunteer Subur Putra.

The BNPB recorded that a number of displaced had decreased from 1,886 on Monday to 1,146 on Tuesday and that many residents from Jemblung'€™s neighboring areas had returned home.

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