Tsunami Detector Does Not Work, Government Denies Lack of Budget

The DPR accuses the budget provided by the government for institutions in the field of disaster mitigation is limited. As a result, the purchase of a tsunami detection device was hampered.

But the government dismissed the accusation and called the early warning system not a matter of minimal budget, but the maintenance of existing detection devices.

“Before advancing the draft budget, state institutions were limited to the specified ceiling. The ceiling did not allow BPPT to buy equipment,” said House Commission VII member Ramson Siagian on Monday (10/10).

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“Actually, since 2012 it didn’t work because the Buoy was stolen a lot, then the operation was also high, right, so it’s not working (not working),” Nugroho said Wednesday (12/26/2018).

The issue of the same budget was also called Louise Comfort, Director of the Center for Natural Disaster Management at the University of Pittsburgh, United States.

Comfort in 2013 received funding from the National Science Foundation of the United States to make tsunami detection underwater sensors in Indonesia.

Comfort said that the project which was due to be held with BPPT finally stopped because of budget issues.

“After the 2014 presidential election there was a change of BPPT officials. Priority changed. Because of the economic situation and devaluation of the rupiah, the budget provided by the Ministry of Finance for BPPT was also evaluated.”

“BPPT finally called not having enough funds to fund the installation of detection equipment under the sea,” said Comfort.

This can be a basis for being aware of and supporting disaster preparedness. He added, the mitigation measures were very important for the community or residents living in areas that were vulnerable to disaster.