Flood victims in South Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatera Province are\nfacing severe shortages of clean water. In response to this crisis,\nresidents of Garoga Village, South Tapanuli Regency have attempted to\ndig wells as deep as 40 metres, but have been unable to find clean water\nsources.<\/p>\n
Garoga Village Chief Risman Rambe stated that the clean water sources\nthat had previously been plentiful in Garoga were destroyed by flash\nfloods and landslides that struck 53 districts and municipalities across\nAceh, North Sumatera, and West Sumatera in late November 2025. \u201cWe have\nalready made efforts through communal work to dig the earth, but we have\nnot yet obtained a clean water source,\u201d said Risman on Monday 9 March\n2026.<\/p>\n
Garoga Village has a population of 245 households, all of whom became\nvictims of the flash floods that struck the village in November 2025.\nThey are currently living in temporary shelters after their homes were\ncompletely destroyed by the floods.<\/p>\n
The flash floods and landslides affected 53 districts and\nmunicipalities across Aceh, North Sumatera, and West Sumatera in late\nNovember 2025. This Sumatera disaster resulted in 1,204 deaths and 104\npeople still reported missing as of February 2026. Garoga Village was\namong the worst-affected areas.<\/p>\n
Risman Rambe stated that Garoga residents have been receiving clean\nwater assistance from the government, which has supplied water tanks at\nthree locations. However, these three water tanks are insufficient to\nmeet the clean water needs of Garoga residents.<\/p>\n
South Tapanuli Regent Gus Irawan Pasaribu said that clean water needs\nfor flood victims are currently being met through fire department water\ntrucks belonging to the district as a temporary measure whilst waiting\nfor the completion of boreholes at the temporary shelter locations.<\/p>\n
Beyond clean water issues, Garoga residents are also struggling to\nfind employment. Most of them work as farmers, but they have lost their\nagricultural land due to the flash floods. A total of 54 hectares of\npaddy fields in Garoga were destroyed, along with more than 50 hectares\nof residents\u2019 gardens that were severely damaged.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government has not yet replaced residents\u2019 agricultural land,\u201d\nsaid Risman Rambe.<\/p>\n
Risman, a flood victim himself, stated that residents are still\nliving in temporary shelters because the permanent housing promised by\nthe government has not yet been constructed. The government has set\naside land in Nepa Village covering 15 hectares for the construction of\npermanent housing for flood victims in Garoga.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe continue to coordinate with local government on this matter.\nCurrently I am meeting with the Regional Secretary of South Tapanuli\nRegency,\u201d said Risman.<\/p>\n
Basarin Yunus Tanjung, Government and Public Welfare Assistant of the\nNorth Sumatera Provincial Government and Chair of the North Sumatera\nEmergency Disaster Response Task Force, stated that local government has\nalready designated several locations for the construction of permanent\nand temporary housing based on field verification results. The purpose\nof verification is to ensure that the land used is legal and suitable\nfor house construction.<\/p>\n
Several temporary and permanent housing locations for flood victims\nin South Tapanuli are located in plantation areas belonging to State\nPlantation Company (PTPN) in Batang Toru District, Napa Village,\nSimarpinggan Football Field in South Angkola District, and Aek Latong\nHamlet in Marsada Village, Sipirok District.<\/p>\n
Basarin acknowledged that the construction of permanent housing for\nflood victims has not yet commenced because the local government is\nstill preparing the land. The land to be used for permanent housing is\nnot owned by the local government.<\/p>\n
\u201cTherefore, land must still be sought from third parties, whether\nprivately owned or central government assets. Everything is still\nwaiting for the land provision process,\u201d said Basarin.<\/p>\n
He claimed that the North Sumatera government is optimistic that the\nconstruction of 1,103 permanent housing units in South Tapanuli, Central\nTapanuli, North Tapanuli, and Sibolga City can begin soon, although it\nis still waiting for the land provision process to be completed.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/flood-victims-in-tapanuli-sumatera-facing-clean-water-shortage-1773050039", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }