No. 36/MC.TDBM/11/2010

PRESS RELEASE

No. 36/MC.TDBM/11/2010

Yogyakarta City Government forms point monitor to anticipate cold lava

Yogyakarta, 16/11/2010 (Media Center Kominfo, 19:00) - Deputy Mayor of Yogyakarta, Haryadi Suyudi said, to anticipate the threat of cold lava eruption from Mount Merapi, they build monitoring point at the north side of Code River which located in Sleman Regency.

"We use the monitoring point in the north side, precisely at the Red Bridge in Sleman which connected via radio frequency communications," he told reporters at the Media Center Disaster Emergency Response Merapi Jalan Kenari No. 14a Yogyakarta, Tuesday, (16/11).

The monitoring point will inform the situation and the current conditions around the north side of Code River from cold lava threat of Mount Merapi which is still increasing its activities. The north point will provide information to the monitoring point which located in the city of Yogyakarta.

The north monitoring point was given the name Kartika post while in the city of Yogyakarta itself, the monitoring point was given the name parent post. The situation in the northern region will be monitored in real time by monitoring point located in the city of Yogyakarta and also connected directly by 8 district leaders.

Code River is one of the rivers that pass in the city of Yogyakarta and tipped at Merapi Boyong river. Code River pass across 8 districts, 14 villages and 66 RWs. The number of people who are located along the river as much as 13 thousand people.

If the tip of the Code River raining in a very high intensity, it is feared this flow will flow pile of sand, mud, stone and wood that dragged by the water.

To anticipate this, the institute together with the community will use local wisdom to face the cold lava. Where people are ready to demonstrate to its citizens to gathered at the predetermined in the evacuation route.

Also, will be alerted a number of officers and personnel who will operate 24 hours a day to help evacuate the residents who are located along the river if it happens.

It also has set up an early warning system using traditional tools in the form of Gong to be beaten if the threat occurs and the relay gong will be played in 8 districts.

Residents are also being worked together to rake the sand which is currently already meet Code river because of cold lava floods some time ago which have made the Code river almost flat to the ground surface.

In addition to the impact of cold lava, which have to be anticipated is the overflow of refugees from outside the city of Yogyakarta. For that matter, it also has set up the zone to gather the refugees.

As a result of eruption of Merapi, currently registered number of refugees in the city of Yogyakarta has reached 4995 people and spread over 14 districts in city of Yogyakarta.

Contact          : Hartje Winerungan, Head of PR-BNPB

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