Gibran urges concerted efforts to address Semarang prolonged floods

  Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between the central and regional governments to address the flooding that has inundated Semarang City, Central Java, and nearby areas since October 22.

“Synergy between the central and regional governments is essential for us to find a solution to this issue,” he told the media in Semarang 

Gibran said authorities had identified several possible measures to mitigate the disaster, triggered by heavy rainfall on October 21, including optimizing the Terboyo Retention Basin.

He also highlighted President Prabowo Subianto’s plan to build a giant sea wall stretching more than 500 kilometers along the northern coastline of Java Island - from Banten to East Java - to protect around 50 million residents from tidal floods.

The vice president expressed appreciation to Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi and Semarang Mayor Agustina Pramestituti for their consistent efforts in mitigating the flood’s impact.

Beyond the disaster response, Gibran urged local governments to continue monitoring the implementation of President Prabowo’s flagship initiatives, including the Free Nutritious Meals program, the Free Health Screening program, the People’s School tuition-free education program, and the Garuda School program.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring the accurate and responsible distribution of government social assistance.

“Make sure the aid is properly distributed by the end of this year. We cannot allow recipients to misuse the assistance for online gambling or other improper purposes,” he emphasized.

Heavy rainfall on October 21 caused widespread flooding in Semarang and nearby areas, including Demak District. While water levels began to recede on October 27, they rose again the following day after further downpours.

In Semarang, the floods affected around 39,000 residents, caused severe traffic congestion, and disrupted railway operations, leading to the cancellation of at least 16 trips on October 29.

The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing has taken emergency measures, including installing 30 pumps to accelerate drainage. The ministry also reaffirmed its commitment to improving infrastructure and flood prevention systems in northern Java.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has deployed a task force to operate the pumps and launched weather modification operations with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to reduce rainfall intensity.