Public Works Ministry Deploys Heavy Equipment, Not Only to Handle National Infrastructure
Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo, together with officials from ministries, agencies and regional governments, held an emergency response coordination meeting at the West Manggarai Regent’s Office in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday (16/8).
The strategic coordination meeting was led by Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto to formulate rapid emergency response measures following the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that shook the Flores Island region on Saturday (15/8).
Labuan Bajo has been designated as the crisis command centre, or National Post for Provincial Assistance, in handling the disaster. The choice of location took into account land access conditions in several affected areas as well as ease of flight access for logistics and personnel.
During the meeting, the Ministry of Public Works affirmed its readiness to accelerate the recovery of infrastructure affected by the earthquake and landslides. The Deputy Minister of Public Works stated that most of the affected national roads have now been reconnected.
Nevertheless, a number of points still require traffic management and in-depth technical inspection, particularly on bridges that are feared to have experienced a reduction in load-bearing capacity due to the earthquake tremors.
“Most national roads are all connected. We have discussed with our regional offices and the Director General of Highways to now start moving towards the regency and provincial levels,” said the Deputy Minister of Public Works.
The Ministry of Public Works has also mobilised heavy equipment to several disaster sites to clear landslide material and reopen severed land transport access. The response is not only targeting national roads and bridges, but also provincial and regency infrastructure.
“If, for example, there is a regency bridge or provincial bridge, a regency or provincial road that happens to have suffered a landslide or been severed, we will also help because this is indeed an emergency situation,” he stressed.
In addition to road connectivity, the government is prioritising the restoration of clean water services for affected communities. The Deputy Minister of Public Works revealed that landslides caused by the earthquake disrupted a number of river flows, which directly impacted water supply to distribution installations.
The Ministry of Public Works, through the Directorate General of Water Resources, will carry out rapid design work to address the limited water supply. While permanent repairs are being carried out, the government is increasing the distribution of clean water using tanker trucks to affected areas.
“At the same time, so that the public does not lack clean water, we are also increasing the number of water tanks that we distribute to the community,” he said.
The results of the coordination meeting emphasised the limited restoration of vital public services during the initial emergency response period. Regional governments in the six affected regencies are encouraged to immediately declare a disaster emergency status so that budget support and physical handling from the central government can proceed optimally.
Rapid reaction teams have also been deployed from Labuan Bajo to the affected areas to map damage to public facilities and residents’ homes in parallel. The Deputy Minister of Public Works stressed that his ministry continues to coordinate with regional leaders and TNI/Polri elements to determine priority handling points.
“We very much hope for the direction and guidance of the governor, regents, mayors, military resort commanders, and regional police chiefs,” he concluded.
This measure is part of the government’s integrated efforts to ensure that communities in the Flores earthquake-affected areas continue to receive transport access and clean water needs during the crisis period.