Semarang Declares Coastal Flood Emergency Status

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo has declared the coastal flood that inundated the city of Semarang as a disaster emergency.

The decision was made after he visited the affected areas on Saturday.

"We’ve declared an emergency disaster status so we can take emergency measures," Ganjar said.

According Ganjar, by declaring an emergency status, the provincial government can use the budget to the full because pumps provided from the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing are still not enough.

"To handle this flood, we need extraordinary measures," he added.

With emergency status in place, Ganjar hopes the flood can be immediately handled, especially because areas affected are public facilities such as national highways used by Eid travellers.

EDI FAISOL