PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The West Java Provincial Government continues to strive to anticipate various natural disasters through strategic steps, one of which is the Weather Modification Operation (OMC).

This operation was officially launched by the Governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, together with the Regional Secretary of West Java, Herman Suryatman, at Husein Sastranegara Air Force Base, Bandung City, Tuesday (11/3/2025).

Governor Dedi Mulyadi, who is familiarly called KDM, said that OMC is part of the disaster mitigation strategy carried out by the West Java Provincial Government to reduce the risk of flooding and landslides that often occur in West Java.

According to him, the West Java Provincial Government has taken various preventive measures, from upstream to downstream, to minimize the impact of the disaster.

"One of the concrete steps we have taken is to improve spatial planning, especially in the Puncak area and throughout West Java. We dare to take firm action, including demolishing buildings that cover water catchment areas," he said.

"If not, the water that should be absorbed will immediately flow rapidly to Cisarua, then to Bekasi River, to Bekasi City, Bekasi Regency, and Jakarta," said Dedi Mulyadi.

In addition to spatial planning, the West Java Provincial Government is also improving the River Basin Area (DAS). Currently, heavy equipment has been deployed to several strategic locations, and the West Java Provincial Government is coordinating with the Ministry of ATR/BPN to resolve land certification issues around the DAS which often become obstacles in conservation efforts.

"We have seen that many river basins, such as in Cibarusah, Cileungsi, and Kali Bekasi, have been certified. This must be fixed immediately so that the river ecosystem is maintained," he said.

In addition, he explained that OMC was carried out with the main aim of diverting rainfall to safer areas, such as the sea and Jatiluhur Lake, in order to prevent high rainfall intensity in flood-prone areas.

Governor Dedi Mulyadi also emphasized the importance of an ecological awareness-based approach, which he called ecological repentance.

"In this month of Ramadan, we must perform ecological repentance. This means that the government and society must improve spatial planning and change lifestyles so as not to damage the environment. Rivers are not places to dump garbage, but sources of life that we must protect," he stressed.

Collaboration with TNI

As a follow-up step, the West Java Provincial Government will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Army Headquarters and explore cooperation with the Indonesian Navy Headquarters to maintain the sustainability of river and marine ecosystems.

This collaboration also involves the Indonesian Air Force in air monitoring and BMKG to strengthen disaster monitoring technology.

"This year, West Java will have two new weather radars, one in the southern region and one in the Bandung Basin. In addition, there will be air quality detection devices and a more sophisticated disaster early warning system," said Dedi Mulyadi.

The Governor also highlighted the importance of synchronizing data-based planning with targeted budgeting, so that disaster mitigation policies can run more effectively.

"The government actually has many institutions that provide data and knowledge. However, planning and budgeting are often not aligned. This is what we must fix so that development policies in West Java are more focused," he concluded.