JAKARTA (Bernama-ANTARA): The Indonesian government is accelerating disaster recovery efforts on Sumatra Island, with most connectivity infrastructure now operational and supporting public mobility and logistics distribution.
Indonesia’s Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said national roads and bridges in affected areas have faced no major disruptions.
"There are no problems with national roads and bridges. There was a landslide, but we were able to repair it in less than 24 hours," he said in a statement on Sunday.
According to data, 107 affected roads and 43 bridges have been fully restored. Of the 2,421 affected regional road sections, 2,277 (94 per cent) are now passable, while 792 of 1,181 bridges (67 per cent) have resumed operations.
However, several areas remain severely affected, particularly in Aceh Province, where heavy rainfall and downstream mudflows continue to pose challenges.
"The main problem in Aceh is mud, and it is still raining. Under these conditions, work must be accelerated," Dody said.
As a precaution against further disasters, the ministry has accelerated sediment control efforts, including the construction of sabo dams to retain wood and sediment from upstream areas.
"I see a lot of wood on the national road toward Gayo Luwes. I am concerned it may flow back down to Tamiang," Dody added.
The Public Works Ministry is also coordinating with regional governments and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on weather modification efforts, while accelerating residential cleanup through labour-intensive programmes in affected areas such as Pidie Jaya and Aceh Tamiang.
In the basic services sector, recovery has also shown significant progress. Of the 176 affected drinking water supply systems, 165 units have resumed operations.
For raw water supply, the construction of deep boreholes has reached 70 units, while shallow boreholes have reached 34 units.
To support agricultural recovery, the ministry is coordinating with the Agriculture Ministry to accelerate mud clearance from rice fields and restore primary and secondary irrigation networks.
The Public Works Ministry is also ensuring intensive field monitoring, including in remote areas, to meet emergency infrastructure needs such as temporary bridges and prevent disruptions to logistics distribution.
It is also coordinating with the Indonesian Army (TNI AD) to ensure rapid response in areas requiring urgent infrastructure support.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating comprehensive disaster recovery through the "build back better" principle, ensuring that rebuilt infrastructure is more resilient and supports sustainable socio-economic recovery.
--BERNAMA-ANTARA
