Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on September 10 declared a state of emergency in Bali for the next week due to the flooding that has hit the island, with areas heavily affected being Denpasar, Jembrana, Badung, and Gianyar.
Head of BNPB Suharyanto initially stated that the state of emergency would last for two weeks. However, this was later amended to one week due to the less severe conditions of the disaster.
He reassured the public not to be alarmed by this status. He explained that the declaration of a state of emergency is for administrative purposes to facilitate disaster management.
Initially, BNPB has distributed relief aid worth 1 billion IDR (over 60,700 USD), including a rubber boat and engine, 300 packages of basic foodstuffs, 200 blankets, 200 mattresses, three units of 2HP water pumps, two refugee tents, and 50 family tents.
Suharyanto said that this assistance is likely to increase as flood management continues.
By the morning of September 11, floods had killed at least 15 people, left six missing and directly affected more than 600 people from 202 households. Unusually heavy rain for two consecutive days, with rainfall recorded in Bali reaching 245.5 mm in just one day, caused the Tukad Badung River to overflow its banks, resulting in widespread flooding in the West Denpasar area.
Indonesian Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo affirmed that the government has taken urgent action to minimise the damage. The ministry has mobilised heavy machinery to clear mud and deployed mobile water pumps, and coordinated with the Bali Penida River Basin Office (BWS), the military, police and local authorities to monitor the situation.
A rapid response team and mechanical equipment have also been deployed to the scene to promptly support the people.
By noon on September 11, water had begun to recede in many heavily flooded areas in Badung. Traffic in some key tourist areas of Bali has gradually been restored. The Indonesian government emphasised that the highest priority now is to ensure the safety and stability of people's lives in affected areas, while implementing recovery, infrastructure restoration and post-flood reconstruction./.
