TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo has signed Presidential Decree No. 21/2015 on the establishment of a task force to accelerate relocation of about Mount Sinabung eruption victims, officials said Tuesday, Sepetmber 22.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said there are 370 permanent houses that have been given to residents. However, there have been only 21 families that live in the houses. “This is because there is not enough land,” said Sutopo on Tuesday.

Around 370 families will be relocated until the end of 2015. There are still 2,615 families or 9,538 people that are still evacuating because of alert on Sinabung.

According to the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center’s (PVMBG) recommendation, 2,053 heads of families or 6,179 people from seven villages must be relocated because those villages are vulnerable to disaster.

Pine forest of 185 hectares for agricultural land has not been cut entirely. Only 120 hectares that have been cut and it will finish in November.

According to Sutopo, this land still also needs to ripened which takes around 9 tp 12 months. “For that, house rental for residents will be extended for a year.”

President Joko Widodo plans to visit Siosar on September 25 to directly monitor the permanent homes and build a dialogue with the residents. Since September 2013, BNPB has helped the Karo Regency Government with Rp171.8 billion to handle Sinabung victims.

SUPRIYANTHO KHAFID