Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono plans to build new earthquake-resistant houses for victims whose houses were badly damaged, collapsed, or had to be relocated due to the earthquake in Cianjur District.
“The new houses for earthquake victims must meet the earthquake-resistant standards from the PUPR Ministry. That is a presidential order,” Hadimuljono noted in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The minister remarked that the construction of new houses was intended for earthquake victims whose houses were badly damaged, collapsed, or had to be relocated. The earthquake victims whose houses suffered mild to moderate damage will receive a compensation of Rp50 million, which is a stimulus from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
“If the house is lightly or moderately damaged, then it can be repaired by the residents with the stimulus from the BNPB. However, collapsed houses, offices, mosques, or bridges will be repaired by the PUPR Ministry,” he stated.
Hadimuljono instructed the ministry’s director general of housing to verify the condition of houses of the Cianjur earthquake victims. The new houses for victims will be built using earthquake-resistant technology, the Simple Healthy Instant House (RISHA).
RISHA technology is the embodiment of a house, with a modular design, that divides the system into small parts, or modules, with an efficient size to be assembled into a large number of different products, he explained.
The design of the house building, with this modular system, can be changed or developed according to the needs of the occupants. Moreover, the construction of houses with the RISHA technology is quick.
“We have the RISHA technology. I have urged the Director General of Housing to prepare for the availability and modules of the houses. We are still waiting to transport it. It is up to the regional government because they must prepare the land first, and we will then do the land clearing and build the house,” Hadimuljono stated.
The 5.6-magnitude earthquake, which struck at 1:21 p.m. local time on November 21, was centered 10 kilometers southwest of Cianjur, West Java, at a depth of 10 km. No tsunami warning was sounded following the quake.
On Tuesday, the BNPB confirmed that 268 people had died in the earthquake and the number of injured victims had reached 1,083, while the number of people seeking shelter at refugee camps was pegged at 58,362. Meanwhile, 6,570 homes had suffered heavy damage, 2,071 had incurred moderate damage, while 12,641 were lightly damaged in the quake. Information on the rest is still being collected.
Source: Antara News