GOVERNOR WANTS MORE TEWS INSTALLED IN ACEH

Banda Aceh, Nov 11 (ANTARA) - Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf has expressed hope that more tsunami early warning systems (TEWS) can be installed in his province, especially in the west coast which was also hit by the devastating tsunami in 2004.
"Six TEWS have been installed in Aceh but none in several coastal areas such as Meulaboh in West Aceh district," Yusuf said in a teleconference with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday.
He said, after the December 26, 2004 deadly tsunami, six tsunami early warning systems had been installed in Aceh, among others in Meuraxa sub district and Kajhu in Aceh Besar district but other districts and towns in the province were not provided with the systems. .
"There are no TEWS in other districts and towns so the local people will only use loud-speakers from mosques to warn each other when there is a tsunami or another natural disaster," the governor said.
He added that after the 2004 tsunami that claimed more than 200,000 lives in Aceh , people in the province had gained experience in how to save themselves when another tsunami strikes.
President Yudhoyono on Tuesday held a video conference with the governors of Aceh and West Sumatra to discuss the use of sophisticated technology in anticipating tsunami disaster.
On the occasion President Yudhoyono said a sophisticated technology with a costly system to warn the people against an imminent disaster would be useless if they lacked awareness to respond to it.
"There is no point in installing sophisticated technology with costly system to warn people against imminent disaster, if the people have no awareness to respond to the warning," the president said.
Yudhoyono held the teleconference in conjunction with the launching of an Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (InaTEWS) in Jakarta on Tuesday.
In the teleconference, President Yudhoyono called on every province in Indonesia to remain ready and vigilant to face tsunami disaster which might happen any time.