ID :
88147
Fri, 11/06/2009 - 03:36
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/88147
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UNDP TO PROVIDE EQUIPMENT TO REMOVE PADANG'S EARTHQUAKE RUBBLE
Jakarta, Nov 5 (ANTARA) - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will provide heavy-duty equipment to remove the remnants of buildings in Padang, West Sumatra, which collapsed during a powerful earthquake last Sept 30.
According to a UNDP press release received here on Thursday, the agency would provide the equipment to move about 1.5 million cubic meters of rubble in Padang.
UNDP would also deploy a number of experts in planning and mapping sectors to help local authorities in designing better building structures to reduce the impact of earthquakes in the future.
The UNDP representative in Indonesia, Hakan Bjorkman, said there were thousands of damaged buildings in Padang due to last September 30's earthquake which could harm people living and working there.
Therefore, UNDP's experts in coordination with the local public works office would check the damage to the buildings in a safe way.
Bjorkman said clearing Padang of the ruins of buildings would be hard work as there were more than 1.5 million cubic meters of broken material in the city which required an estimated 375,000 trucks to carry it.
The UNDP hoped to provide more heavy-duty equipment next week. The clean-up program was also expected to create jobs for local residents who could also sell the rubble as material to rebuild houses.
The government on Sunday (Nov 1) kicked off a reconstruction program in quake-affected West Sumatra province, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Syamsul Maarif said.
"Today we started the reconstruction process but not with direct reconstruction activities because the verification (of damaged buildings) has not been completed," he said.
Neither had reconstruction funds from the government been disbursed, he said.
"We have proposed reconstruction funds but the funds have not been disbursed pending a seal of approval from the House of Representatives," he said.
An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale devastated West Sumatra on September 30, killing more than 1,100 people.
BNPB data show 65,380 houses were seriously damaged and 78,604 others lightly in the quake.
The quake also caused major damage to 2,164 school buildings, 254 office buildings, 1,003 houses of worship and 51 health facilities. ***
According to a UNDP press release received here on Thursday, the agency would provide the equipment to move about 1.5 million cubic meters of rubble in Padang.
UNDP would also deploy a number of experts in planning and mapping sectors to help local authorities in designing better building structures to reduce the impact of earthquakes in the future.
The UNDP representative in Indonesia, Hakan Bjorkman, said there were thousands of damaged buildings in Padang due to last September 30's earthquake which could harm people living and working there.
Therefore, UNDP's experts in coordination with the local public works office would check the damage to the buildings in a safe way.
Bjorkman said clearing Padang of the ruins of buildings would be hard work as there were more than 1.5 million cubic meters of broken material in the city which required an estimated 375,000 trucks to carry it.
The UNDP hoped to provide more heavy-duty equipment next week. The clean-up program was also expected to create jobs for local residents who could also sell the rubble as material to rebuild houses.
The government on Sunday (Nov 1) kicked off a reconstruction program in quake-affected West Sumatra province, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Syamsul Maarif said.
"Today we started the reconstruction process but not with direct reconstruction activities because the verification (of damaged buildings) has not been completed," he said.
Neither had reconstruction funds from the government been disbursed, he said.
"We have proposed reconstruction funds but the funds have not been disbursed pending a seal of approval from the House of Representatives," he said.
An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale devastated West Sumatra on September 30, killing more than 1,100 people.
BNPB data show 65,380 houses were seriously damaged and 78,604 others lightly in the quake.
The quake also caused major damage to 2,164 school buildings, 254 office buildings, 1,003 houses of worship and 51 health facilities. ***
