IPB Sent Batako Press For Victims of Merapi Eruption
The eruption of Mount Merapi at the end of 2010 has pushed the death toll, and left villagers living nearby homeless and lost their properties. In addition to the damage caused by hot clouds, now those villagers nearby Merapi’ slopes should be alert of cold lava floods that threaten the people living near riverbanks in Yogyakarta and Central Java following the eruptions of Mount Merapi. The threat of cold lava flood may come at any time. But behind the disaster, those villagers are blessed with a huge piled of sand emerged by the cold lava flood. Unfortunately, the villagers have yet utilized those blessing in disguised optimally, as the villagers are lack of ficilites.
"The potential of those Merapi volcanic material, piled of sands, can not be utilized yet. Therefore, when the team of the IPB Peduli offered relief donation, the Jumoyo village leader, Mr. Sungkono, proposed that “Bataco Press Machine” should be donated for those villagers. Jumoyo village in District Salam, Magelang regency, was village that most affected by the eruption and cold lava flood.
The aspiration was responded immediately by IPB Peduli Bencana, in this was represented by the Pusat Studi Bencana Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (LPMM) IPB, by donating 2 (two) set of “Bataco Press Machine” for two locations: Village Jumoyo, Salam District, Magelang District and Village Kepuharjo, Cangkringan district, Sleman regency. Aspirations were obtained when the Head of Centre for Disaster Studies IPB, Dr. Ir. Euis Sunarti visited the victims to verify the most appropriate donations needed those victims. The delivery of the donations was took place on Sunday, 20 February 2011, in both village leaders. Mr. Agus Surachman, of the Center for Disaster Studies LPPM IPB, and Mr. Hassan Afif, of the Students Organization represeted Bogor Agricultural University to deliver those donations.
Before the delivery, those machines were tested at a workshop in Laladon, Bogor, on Saturday, 12 february 2011. The machine is capable to to produce 2.000 (two thousand) bataco per day. Villagers will enable to produce good quality bataco press adjusted to their economy condition. The more cement will be mixed to the mixture, the strongest bataco will be produced. However, if less funds available, villagers could use soil with a little cement as mixture to produce bataco. "All depends on the affordability of villagers to acquire cement, diesel fuel for the machine to operate, "said Agus.
"The donation will assist villagers of Cangkringan, especially those from Kepuharjo to rebuild their homes," said Saiful Bahri, Head Cangkringan District (Camat), Sleman. Saiful Bahri added in that in his village there are about 2587 (two thousand and eighty seven) homes ruined by Merapi eruption. Villagers need bataco to rebuild their homes, thus, the machines were considered very appropriate.
The donation of “Bataco Press Machine” for victims of Merapi eruption was part of a series of activities planned by the IPB Peduli. Previously, the IPB Peduli have conducted other activities such as IPB Goes Field Peduli Merapi. A number of students were stationed at some points of Merapi disaster as volunteers. (Wied).
