Public Works Minister builds dam and bridge in Sumatra post-disaster recovery

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Minister of Public Works (PU) Dody Hanggodo said the government is now focusing on constructing several infrastructure facilities such as dams up to permanent bridges in the post-disaster recovery phase in Sumatra. ‘In my personal view, what hasn’t been tackled to the maximum is the bridges, because the rivers generally widen and shallow. The widening is unpredictable, it could be tenfold, fivefold. So, the design must change completely,’ the Public Works Minister said at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday. He further acknowledged that the post-disaster recovery progress in Aceh remains quite slow, given the large amounts of wood and stones still piled upstream. Therefore, the Public Works Ministry is also focusing on building dams to prevent subsequent floods from rain. ‘Even during the emergency response phase, I insisted we must immediately build a dam. Because if the dam isn’t built promptly, when it rains again, the wood will come down again, and those below will suffer,’ he said. In addition, permanent bridges are a priority so that interprovincial connectivity can be maintained. The Public Works Minister also assured that progress on developments in areas affected by the flash floods at the end of last year in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra continues and is monitored by the government. Not only focusing on rebuilding damaged infrastructure, Dody said the ministry is also focusing on clearing mud that has covered farmers’ rice fields. ‘Moreover, the most lagging area is irrigation, because we must check whether the fields still exist. If they are buried under mud, we must also check whether the mud can be cleared easily, or whether the farmland area will have to be relocated,’ he explained. This, he added, is a particular concern to ensure that the drive toward food self-sufficiency in disaster-affected areas can continue. ‘In line with the direction from President Prabowo Subianto, although (Sumatra, especially) Aceh is being affected by disaster, we are all asked to be maximally capable of achieving food self-sufficiency in 2026 for Aceh and its surroundings,’ the Public Works Minister said.