Mentawai Needs Special Communication Tools

Mentawai, (Antara Sumbar) - Regent of Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Yudas Sabaggalet said the area needs satellite radio or special communication devices that are resistant to earthquakes.

"Mentawai archipelago and earthquake prone areas should have a means of communication that are resistant and not affected if the earthquake occurs and can communicate with provincial or central government," Judas stated in Tuapejat, Tuesday.

He explained, during this time it was difficult to communicate with provincial or central government when the earthquake occurred, because telecommunications signal immediately lost.

For that he asked the central government could provide or facilitate a kind of communication tool such as satellite radio which can still be used if the earthquake occurs.

"Learning from previous experiences or events, we are very difficult to communicate, either to monitor the condition of other areas or to report to central government," he said.

He added that the geographical condition of Mentawai District which is divided into four big islands need good communication means, besides supporting the smoothness of community activity, also in the case of disaster that become the supporting factor of mitigation and post disaster.

Furthermore, he said, his side together with Office of Communications and Informatics (Diskominfo) has been coordinating with Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, but so far there has been no follow-up.

Head of Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Mentawai District, Nurdin said, in the near future it will re-coordinate with related parties to be able to facilitate the tool.

"It will be our priority," he said

He acknowledged, internal communication BPBD personnel in reporting the post-earthquake conditions is quite constrained, in addition to signal factors are also means of communication equipment used which is still minimal.

Nurdin said, telecommunication technology capabilities in Mentawai should be strived and received special attention that will be distributed to BPBD personnel who are members of rapid reaction team. (cha)

Editor: Vicha Faradika