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OGYAKARTA: Yogyakarta is speeding up anticipatory measures against lahar floods by installing gabion barriers along river embankments.

“We are preparing 1,200 gabion barriers to be placed along embankments, especially those of the Code River, which flows directly from Merapi’s slopes,” Toto Suroto, head of disaster mitigation agency, said on Wednesday.

Mount Merapi erupted last year, killing more than 300 people. The rain that followed after the eruptions caused lahar floods that negatively impacted the life of resides and the environment.

The people and government expect another bout of lahar floods this year, with the volcano thought to be still holding millions of cubic meters of volcanic material that could be flushed out by the rain.

Heavy equipment has also been readied to drench the river.