Jakarta – An alliance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) urged the government on Thursday to take serious measures to protect citizens from natural disasters. The NGOs, grouped in the People's Coalition for Disaster Prevention, said government agencies had designed several disaster prevention schemes, but the plans were rarely implemented.

The Ministry of Public Works, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, and the National Coordination Body for Natural Disaster Relief all have maps of areas vulnerable to natural disasters, but the documents are sitting on shelves and not getting to the people who need them, the groups said.

"The government should prepare people living in vulnerable areas for possible disasters by providing them with information and facilities," the coalition said in a statement. The group also proposed local governments allocate more of their budgets for disaster prevention.

Landslides triggered by heavy rains have hit some densely populated areas in Java in recent weeks. More than 100 people have been killed and hundreds of displaced families have been forced to live in tents.