PLN repairs poles and cables following secondary flooding in Tukka
Tapanuli Tengah — PLN’s Customer Service Implementation Unit (UP3) is repairing electrical poles and cables damaged by secondary flooding in Hutanabolon village, Tukka district, Tapanuli Tengah regency, North Sumatra.
Hari Priansah, head of the technical implementation division at PLN’s Sibolga customer service unit, stated that repairs to the damaged poles and cables have already reached 50 per cent completion, with electricity expected to be restored to residents by Monday.
“Currently, we are repairing poles that are tilted and collapsed. We will complete the low-voltage overhead line (SUTR) network and be able to restore power supply to Sigiring-Giring and Hutanabolon villages so that residents observing the fasting period are not disrupted,” Priansah said at the flooding disaster site in Tukka on Monday.
According to him, the power outage began on Sunday afternoon (15 March) local time. The outage was caused by secondary flooding triggered by the collapse of a dyke on the Tukka River.
“On Sunday, we received information at 17:30 that secondary flooding had occurred due to continuous rainfall from Saturday through Sunday. The dyke constructed by the government was unable to contain the water discharge, causing Hutanabolon village to be flooded again,” he explained.
As a result of the flooding, PLN’s electrical poles supplying power to surrounding residents were affected. Cables hung loosely and electrical poles collapsed or tilted.
“So we from the Sibolga city customer service unit are following up on the cables and poles with problems at this location, so that the benefits can be felt again by the surrounding residents,” he said.
The secondary flooding inundated residential areas after the Tukka River dyke in Hutanabolon village, Tukka district, Tapanuli Tengah regency, North Sumatra collapsed on Sunday evening.
“It started raining around three o’clock in the afternoon, the dyke collapsed and then the water came here,” said affected resident Heri Sipahutar (31) on Sunday (15 March).
The situation was further worsened by the loss of electrical supply to the residential area, forcing residents to be evacuated to designated safe locations.
According to his account, elderly residents were successfully evacuated by the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) from near the secondary flooding site.