The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is collaborating with four universities to collect data on houses damaged by the recent 6.1-magnitude earthquake in Pasaman and West Pasaman Districts, West Sumatra Province.
“The data collection is based on the category of damage, which consists of minor damage, moderate damage, and major damage,” Deputy for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction at the BNPB Jarwansah said in a written statement received here on Thursday.
The four universities involved in the data collection are Andalas University, Bung Hatta University, Padang State University, and the Padang Institute of Technology, he said. A total of 106 students and coordinators with a background in civil engineering and architecture have volunteered for the data collection effort, he added.
According to Jarwansah, students and coordinators from the four universities will be on duty from March 3 to 11, 2022. Later, the data collection process will utilize the InaRISK application developed by the BNPB, he said.
The documentation of the condition of the houses, geographical location points, family numbers, and population data (NIK) is needed for the app, he said.
He said the earthquake in Pasaman and West Pasaman resulted in damage to houses and infrastructure as well as caused socio-cultural and socio-economic disturbances.
Therefore, it is necessary to carry out data collection quickly so that the needs and budgeting can be immediately formulated by the central government as well as provincial and district governments.
“The BNPB continues to strive to optimize efforts to handle emergencies and post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction in areas affected by the 6.1 M earthquake based on the needs of the people,” he affirmed.
Separately, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy urged the local government and the West Pasaman Disaster Emergency Response Task Force to accelerate data validation of earthquake victims in West Pasaman, West Sumatra.
“Accelerate data validation of the quake victims and evacuees, as this is related to the assistance provision for affected residents,” Effendy said.
The validation of data on earthquake victims must at least be completed before the end of the disaster emergency response period in West Pasaman on March 10, 2022, he added.
Source: Antara News