Normalised by the Directorate General of Water Resources of the Ministry of Public Works, Aek Doras River in Sibolga Ready to Enter Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Phase

The emergency response to the flood and landslide disaster in Sibolga City and Central Tapanuli Regency (Tapteng) carried out by the Directorate General of Water Resources (Ditjen SDA) of the Ministry of Public Works (PU) has shown significant progress. This is evident from the normalisation efforts on the Aek Doras River in Sibolga, North Sumatra, which have demonstrated notable advancement and are now being directed towards the rehabilitation and reconstruction (rehab rekon) phase. Meanwhile, the normalisation of the Tukka River in Tapteng is still hampered by sedimentation in the river channel. The team from Ditjen SDA Ministry of PU continues to work hard on dredging sediment to restore the river’s function during the emergency response phase. The Sumatera II River Basin Organisation (BBWS) under Ditjen SDA Ministry of PU, in its press release on Friday (19/3/2026), explained that the normalisation of the Aek Doras River has been carried out along approximately two kilometres (km), from the upstream section to the river mouth. Currently, the Aek Doras River has returned to its original form. Debris or flood remnants are also no longer returning to the river channel. To date, the progress of normalisation handling on the Tukka River is estimated to have reached around 50 percent. Nevertheless, the field team continues emergency response efforts to ensure the river’s function remains operational. In this emergency response phase, handling also involves temporary repairs to the river embankments to minimise the potential for further disaster impacts. Subsequently, the handling moves to the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase, aimed at building more permanent and robust river infrastructure. The implementation of the rehabilitation and reconstruction programme will be carried out in coordination with the local government to ensure planning and execution align with on-site conditions. Specifically for the Aek Doras River, the current condition already allows entry into the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase. Previously, Minister of PU Dody Hanggodo, during his visit to the Tukka area in Central Tapanuli, assured that the progress of the work could soon be felt by the community. “I am visiting Tukka again for the umpteenth time to ensure that the latest directives have been implemented or not; alhamdulillah, they have been implemented,” said Dody. He explained that the construction of the embankment in that location is already visible, although not yet fully completed.