BNPB Holds Weather Modification Operation to Support Repair of Grobogan's Collapsed Railway

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the National Disaster Management Agency () Suharyanto inspected the railway of the Jakarta-Surabaya train affected by flood in Papanrejo Village, Gubug Subdistrict, Grobogan Regency, Central Java, Thursday, January 23, 2025.

Together with Director Didiek Hartantyo, Suharyanto took a lorry from Gubug Station to reach the location approximately 1 kilometer away. Arriving there, the BNPB Head and PT KAI Director immediately saw the condition of the tracks that collapsed under the swift flow of Tuntang River two days ago.

During the visit, several engineers and workers repaired the between Gubug Station and Karangjati Station by installing steel and concrete pads and raising the rail level to its original condition. The officers also provided crude stones to support the tracks and used ballast trains to strengthen the foundation.

Seeing the affected conditions, Suharyanto said that BNPB will provide support by carrying out operations (OMC), with the aim of redistributing rainfall so that it does not fall in the Grobogan Regency area so that the railroad repair work process can be completed immediately.

On the other hand, the OMC operation is also carried out to support the acceleration of emergency handling of floods and landslides inthe Pekalongan Regency, including hydrometeorological disaster mitigation throughout Central Java.

"BNPB carried out weather modification operations for three days. This is so that the work on repairing the railway line is not disrupted," Suharyanto said in a written statement quoted by Tempo, Friday, January 25, 2025.

Furthermore, for the surrounding communities affected by flooding in Grobogan, BNPB will provide support in the form of Ready-to-Use Funds (DSP) for emergency handling operations and fulfillment of basic logistical needs. "We also support communities affected by flooding, both TMC and operational support for refugees," Suharyanto said.

Furthermore, to prevent similar incidents from recurring, Suharyanto also said that BNPB will coordinate with the Jeratun Seluna River Basin Center (BBWS) to strengthen medium-term mitigation by building embankments.

The hope, he said, is that in addition to protecting the railway line through Tuntang River, the embankment can also function as a flood barrier for nearby residential areas. "In the medium term, we will coordinate with the BBWS to build the embankment," Suharyanto said.

On the other hand, BNPB will also look at long-term options to relocate settlements that are always affected by flooding every year. This will be further coordinated with the Grobogan Regency Government. "Whether the residents who are always affected by flooding will be relocated, we will discuss it further," said Suharyanto.

IRSYAN HASYIM | ERWIN PRIMA

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