PU accelerates Aceh recovery focusing on sabo dam construction and mud handling
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Public Works (PU) is accelerating infrastructure recovery in Aceh, focusing on the construction of sabo dams and the cleanup of mud in disaster-affected areas.
Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo stated that this acceleration is intended to anticipate the ongoing impacts of high rainfall still occurring in several parts of Aceh.
“At that time, I was already worried that logs could flow down to Tamiang again due to the heavy rain,” Dody said when met in Jakarta on Friday.
He explained that one of the main concerns is the potential for logs from mountainous areas to be carried by currents to downstream regions such as Aceh Tamiang.
To anticipate this, the Ministry of Public Works is accelerating the construction of sabo dams, even though they were originally planned for the reconstruction phase.
“Sabo dams should have been worked on later after entering the reconstruction progress, but even during the emergency response progress, I already started working on them. But with the weather conditions still like this today, this still needs to be accelerated,” he revealed.
According to him, the acceleration is being carried out using a design-and-build scheme so that work can begin immediately without waiting for the normal stages.
In addition, Dody mentioned that mud handling remains a primary focus, particularly in the Pidie Jaya and Aceh Tamiang regions.
He said that field conditions still show many settlements affected by mud, although main roads appear relatively fine.
“The condition is not all right below, so this is what we need to accelerate the cleaning of,” he stated.
The mud cleanup is also being carried out through a labour-intensive programme involving local communities, while also speeding up the recovery of settlement areas.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Public Works is also coordinating with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and local governments to conduct weather modification operations to reduce rainfall intensity.
Dody added that acceleration is also being applied to the construction of bridges connecting regions, especially in remote areas affected by the disaster.
He said that bridge designs can be done quickly and implementation can involve TNI support to ensure community mobility is not disrupted.
“If community movement is not disrupted, usually logistics will not be disrupted either,” he said.
The government, he continued, is also cleaning primary and secondary irrigation to support agricultural activities, especially ahead of the planting season.
Dody said these efforts are being carried out together with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure agricultural lands not affected by mud can be replanted as soon as possible.
Previously, the government has also been accelerating the construction of temporary housing for disaster-affected communities in Aceh, particularly in Aceh Tamiang as a priority for handling.
Based on Ministry of Public Works data as of 21 March 2026, the number of heavily damaged houses in Aceh Province reached 38,169 units, with temporary housing construction at 28,236 units or about 74 percent of the total needs.
In Aceh Tamiang Regency, temporary housing construction is being done in the form of seven modular building blocks that can accommodate around 336 people.
Dody emphasised that Aceh’s recovery is one of his ministry’s priorities so that community activities can return to normal as quickly as possible.
“The current problem is the mud, so that’s also what we’re targeting,” he concluded.