Dasco Says Sumatran Residents Fear Handling Logs, Requests Legal Guarantees
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Sufmi Dasco Ahmad has called on the government to provide legal guarantees for members of the public willing to assist in handling fallen logs in rivers following the Sumatra disaster. Dasco said the guarantees were necessary so that residents would not be afraid to help collect the timber.
The remarks were made during a joint meeting with the government to discuss post-disaster recovery in Sumatra, held at the Parliamentary Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (18 February 2026). Initially, DPR Post-Disaster Recovery Task Force (Galapana) member TA Khalid highlighted the severity of environmental problems caused by mud and flood debris.
“Regarding the environmental assessment, this appears to remain an extremely serious matter. The mud is extraordinary. The problems are immense. Even if we optimise with the available workforce, it is still limited,” said TA Khalid.
Khalid said that piecemeal clean-up efforts risked triggering recurring impacts. He argued that if recovery work were carried out in only one village, mud could flow back down to another village when it rained.
“How will the cash-for-work scheme operate? There must be a conclusion on this. Because nearly all villages are affected. If we only complete Village A whilst leaving Village B unfinished, when it rains, mud from Village A will flow back down to Village B,” he explained.
“So this must be done simultaneously. Therefore, I believe there must be a scheme whereby we work together so that it can be resolved quickly,” he continued.
Beyond this, he noted an additional threat from timber accumulation at the Keureuto Dam. Khalid said there was a pile of wood covering five hectares, with a depth of one to two metres, which continued to shift with each rainfall.
“There is an accumulation of timber covering five hectares. According to reports from the Ministry of Public Works, it is one to two metres deep. It is shifting. If it moves far enough to strike the dam gates, the resulting flood will exceed the previous one,” he said.
He said the Ministry of Public Works had coordinated with the DPR Task Force and the Ministry of Forestry, as the location falls within a designated zone. However, he noted that initial solutions were not feasible due to the steep road conditions.
As an alternative, land held under a cultivation rights title (HGU) belonging to PT Satya Agung had been prepared to store the timber. However, he said the company had requested legal guarantees.
“They are afraid that by helping to relocate the accumulated timber to their land, their HGU concession, they could end up in trouble,” he said.
In response, Dasco called for such guarantees to be provided. According to him, residents wished to help but were fearful.
“So if someone wants to help by providing their land, and we then place the timber from the rivers there so that the dam is not breached — they want to help but are afraid that something might happen,” he said.
According to Dasco, residents were worried that they might subsequently be accused of harbouring illegal or stolen timber.
“They fear being accused of harbouring stolen timber. So they need a form of guarantee. Therefore, firstly, we should decide here that this can be done,” he said.
Dasco called for legal guarantees on the matter, stating his readiness to ensure that residents who intended to help would not face adverse consequences.
“The timber in the rivers should be promptly transported and placed on that land. Secondly, regarding the legal framework, if they request a guarantee, the Chair of the Government Task Force and the Chair of the DPR Task Force will sign it,” he said.
“To ensure that nothing untoward befalls the landowner who has agreed to help, so that the timber does not ultimately cause damage to the dam,” he added.