PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Acting Regional Secretary of Bandung City, Dharmawan invited all parties to increase their awareness of waste management to prevent flooding, especially during the rainy season.

This statement was delivered by Dharmawan after attending the Coordination Meeting for Emergency Preparedness for Hydrometeorological Disasters and Disaster Preparedness for Christmas 2024 and New Year 2025 at the Pakuan Building, Friday, November 29, 2024.

"This flood is not only due to rainfall, but also due to our behavior in throwing away garbage. We continue to try to handle this garbage problem, and appeal to the public to be more concerned about waste management," said Dharmawan.

In the meeting attended by a number of regional heads from West Java, Dharmawan explained that the City of Bandung is also preparing to form a Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).

"Currently, the formation of the Bandung City BPBD is being processed in the Pansus. Hopefully this will be part of our efforts to deal with disasters," he said.

As an anticipatory measure at this time, especially regarding flood control, the Bandung City Government has implemented the Mapag Hujan activity.

In addition, technical agencies such as the Water Resources and Highways Agency have prepared water pumps to cope with high rainfall intensity.

"We have prepared all the water pumps so that high intensity rain can be overcome. However, of course it needs support from all parties, especially in maintaining environmental cleanliness," explained Dharmawan.

On the same occasion, the Head of the West Java BNPB, Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto, revealed that West Java Province is a major concern due to the high risk of hydrometeorological disasters, such as floods and landslides.

He explained that each district and city in West Java had received a budget allocation of IDR 200 million and supporting equipment.

Meanwhile, Acting Governor of West Java, Bey Machmudin emphasized the importance of synergy between provincial, district/city governments, and related institutions in disaster management.

"The main focus is on rescuing residents and handling refugees. For annual floods such as in Bandung Regency, we continue to work with various parties, including BNPB and BWS, for better handling," he said.

This coordination meeting is expected to improve the readiness of Bandung City in facing the rainy season and reduce the impact of disasters on the community. (Bandung City Communication and Information Service)