Bore Wells and Sanitation Facilities for Sumatra Disaster Survivors Need Expansion

Indonesia’s Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force (Satgas PRR) continues to expand bore well and washing, bathing and toilet (MCK) facilities in disaster-affected regions across Aceh, North Sumatra (Sumut), and West Sumatra (Sumbar).

According to Satgas PRR data as of 26 February, 54 of the 72 planned MCK units have been completed in Aceh. In North Sumatra, 128 of the 139 planned MCK units are finished, whilst in West Sumatra, 21 of the 46 targeted units have been built.

Regarding bore well development, Satgas PRR has recorded significant progress across several regions. In Aceh, 369 of the 578 planned bore wells have been constructed. In North Sumatra, 84 of the 152 targeted bore wells are complete. In West Sumatra, 21 of the 107 planned bore wells have been finished.

Overall, MCK facility construction has reached 208 units, representing approximately 80 per cent of the 257 units targeted across Sumatra’s disaster zones. Bore well construction has reached 474 units, or approximately 56 per cent of the 836 units targeted.

Muhammad Tito Karnavian, Chair of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force for Sumatra, stated that bore well and emergency sanitation facility construction continues to be accelerated to meet the basic needs of disaster survivors. These efforts aim to prevent health crises and accelerate recovery for affected communities in Sumatra.

Tito also commended cross-sector collaboration that has collectively built clean water and sanitation facilities across various disaster sites. He noted that clean water and MCK provision have become urgently necessary given that water networks and sanitation systems were severely damaged by landslides and floods that affected Sumatra late last year.

A coordination meeting was chaired by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno and attended by several other coordinating ministers, including Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Djamari Chaniago, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Territorial Affairs Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, and Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar. Also present were Minister of National Development Planning Rachmat Pambudy and Head of the Government Goods and Services Procurement Policy Institute Sarah Sadiqa. Several officials participated virtually, including the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Brian Yuliarto, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid, Deputy Minister for Women Empowerment and Child Protection Veronica Tan, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency Suharyanto, and Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency Arif Satria.