BNPB Warns of Flood Potential in New Capital in Upcoming Week

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Several areas in East Kalimantan, including those within Nusantara Capital City (IKN), are still at risk of flooding in the coming week. After heavy rainfall last weekend, floods have inundated several sub-districts in Mahakam Ulu, Balikpapan, and North Penajam Paser.

Head of the Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Abdul Muhari said the flood could potentially occur due to the ongoing atmospheric phenomenon that increases the level of rainfall; Rossby-Kelvin waves and Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO). 

A regional wind deflection also contributed to the high level of rainfall, he said. "So rain is expected in the upcoming week which potentially cause hydro-meteorological (phenomenon) in East Kalimantan,” said Abdul Muhari in an online disaster briefing on Monday, August 12, 2024.  

BNPB noted that floods hit 15 sub-districts within the administrative areas of Balikpapan Districts last Saturday. At the same time, heavy rain also caused landslides in four sub-districts spread across Balikpapan City, Central Balikpapan, and South Balikpapan.

On Sunday, high-intensity rain caused the Sepaku River to overflow, inundating a number of houses in Gunung Seteleng Village, North Penajam Paser, an area within the IKN project. 

President Joko Widodo has just gathered his ministers in IKN for a cabinet meeting on Monday. On August 17, the new capital is expected to host the Indonesian Independence Day ceremony. 

"IKN should be safe because we have carried out quite massive control efforts, hopefully, all scheduled activities run smoothly,” he said.

BNPB, Abdul Muhari added, urged the local government to monitor the river flows and landslide-prone steep hills and use the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency or BMKG’s weather forecast as the main reference.

BMKG Weather Forecast

BMKG warned of rain potential for several regions in Indonesia in its weekly weather outlook for August 13-19, 2024, especially in the northern and central parts. 

The weather agency released an early warning for rainfall and thunderstorms in all parts of Kalimantan. Other provincial areas with the same early warning are Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, Jambi, South Sumatra, Bangka Belitung, Bengkulu, Lampung, Jakarta, West Java, North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, North Maluku, Southwest Papua, West Papua, Central Papua, Papua Highlands, Papua, and South Papua.

ANTARA

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