Without dams, more rain would cause the wood to pile up again, and people would continue to suffer,
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is currently focusing on building several infrastructure facilities, such as dams and permanent bridges, during the post-disaster recovery phase in Sumatra, as informed by the Minister of Public Works, Dody Hanggodo.

"Bridges have not yet been optimally addressed because, on average, the rivers have widened and become shallower. The widening is also significant, reaching up to 10 times or five times their original width. Therefore, the design has to change completely,” he said in a press conference on Friday.

He also acknowledged that post-disaster recovery progress in Aceh remains quite slow, due to the large amount of wood and stone still piled upstream. As a result, the ministry is also prioritizing dam construction to prevent further flooding during heavy rainfall.

“During the emergency response period, I insisted that dams be built immediately. Without dams, more rain would cause the wood to pile up again, and people would continue to suffer,” he remarked.

Furthermore, permanent bridges are being prioritized to maintain inter-provincial connectivity.

The minister confirmed that reconstruction efforts in flood-affected areas in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra following disasters at the end of last year are still ongoing and being closely monitored by the government.

In addition to rebuilding damaged infrastructure, Hanggodo said the ministry is also focusing on clearing mud from rice fields.

“Another major concern is irrigation, because we must first determine whether the rice fields still exist. Even if they are buried under mud, we need to assess whether the mud can be removed or whether the rice fields will need to be relocated,” he explained.

According to him, these efforts require special attention to ensure food self-sufficiency programs in disaster-affected areas can continue.

“Based on directives from President Prabowo Subianto, even though Aceh and parts of Sumatra are currently facing disasters, we must do our best to ensure food self-sufficiency in Aceh and surrounding areas by 2026,” he stated.



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Translator: Arnidhya Nur, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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