Andre Rosiade Inspects River Dredging Project in West Sumatra After Flash Floods

Andre Rosiade, Deputy Chair of Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the Gerindra Party, inspected post-flash-flood river management in Muaro Panjalinan, Koto Tangah district, Padang. He said he was ensuring that the rehabilitation and reconstruction of water-resource infrastructure continued to be expedited.

Andre was accompanied by Reski Wahyudi, head of the West Sumatra V River Basin Agency (BWS Sumatera V) in Padang, and Maria Doeni Isa, head of the West Sumatra Settlement Development Agency.

Andre thanked President Prabowo Subianto and Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo for providing budget support and accelerating efforts to address the disaster’s impact in West Sumatra. He said the government had made clear that disaster response would not end with the emergency phase.

“We would like to thank President Prabowo Subianto and Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo. The central government has shown its commitment to rebuilding West Sumatra after the disaster,” Andre said in a statement on Thursday (29 October 2026).

“We can see that heavy machinery is already at work and permanent works have begun. This is what we are pushing for: the response must not stop at the emergency phase, but continue through to reconstruction,” added Andre, chairman of the Central Board of the Minang Family Association (IKM).

Andre said accelerating permanent projects was part of efforts to ensure that disaster response did not drag on. He praised BWS Sumatera V, contractors and other technical agencies for preparing and carrying out recovery programmes.

“Preparing works like these requires technical studies, designs and environmental analysis. But we are urging that the process be accelerated without neglecting technical considerations. Flooding has happened again, and people need measures that provide long-term protection,” he said.

Reski Wahyudi, head of BWS Sumatera V in Padang, said the budget allocated for post-disaster water-resource management in West Sumatra totalled around Rp4.3 trillion. Of that amount, about Rp380 billion was allocated for emergency response, while approximately Rp3.8 trillion was set aside for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Padang has been allocated around Rp782 billion for rehabilitation and reconstruction. The work covers the Batang Kuranji and Batang Air Dingin rivers, including the Gunung Nago and Koto Tuo areas.

Reski said the project packages were designed not only to repair damage but also to strengthen flood and sediment control. Planned work includes building two dams and three check dams, river normalisation, embankment construction and projects related to raw-water supply.

“In Padang, the work is focused on two main rivers, Batang Kuranji and Batang Air Dingin, with projects spread across several locations. We are also preparing sediment-control structures upstream so that material is not continually carried downstream during heavy rain,” Reski said.

He added that permanent works, initially scheduled to begin in November, had been brought forward to October 2026 in response to repeated flooding in Padang.

Overall, BWS Sumatera V’s post-disaster works cover 43 rivers across several regencies and cities. According to Reski’s briefing, progress on bank reinforcement and embankment works stood at around 75 per cent, while river normalisation had reached approximately 87 per cent.

In Padang Pariaman Regency, the rehabilitation and reconstruction budget presented was around Rp1.33 trillion. Work covers the Batang Anai, Batang Tapakis, Batang Ulakan and Batang Mangor rivers, and includes a dam, seven check dams, river normalisation and embankments.

Solok Regency has been allocated around Rp392 billion to address the Batang Lembang and Batang Gawan rivers, as well as several rivers in the Saniang Baka area. In Agam Regency, the budget presented was around Rp278 billion, including work on the Batang Malalak river and the construction of eight check dams.

In Tanah Datar Regency, the programme covers work on the Batang Sinamar river, lahar and sediment control on Mount Marapi, and the construction of a dam, sabo dams and check dams, as well as river normalisation. In Padang Panjang, sediment-control works and one check dam are planned, with a budget of around Rp50 billion. BWS Sumatera V also presented an allocation of around Rp25 billion for work in Pesisir Selatan Regency.

Reski stressed that permanent works required careful preparation because river management could not be carried out at just one location. Planning had to take into account the river channel, sediment movement, the need for upstream control structures and the impact on downstream areas.

Andre said he would continue to oversee coordination with the central government and technical agencies to ensure the recovery programme met residents’ needs.

“We want the budget set aside by the government to be spent properly. Thank you to President Prabowo, Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo and everyone working in the field. We hope this rehabilitation and reconstruction will strengthen protection for the people of West Sumatra against future disasters,” Andre said.