Reje Payung in Central Aceh at Disaster Risk; PRR Task Force Urges Immediate Relocation of Schools
The Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force (Satgas PRR) for Sumatra is urging the Central Aceh Regency Government to accelerate the construction of new schools for students in the region. For the past six months, teaching and learning activities have been conducted in hot, temporary tent-based classrooms because the original buildings are situated within high-risk disaster zones. This situation specifically affects SDN 10 Linge and SMPN 26 Takengon in Reje Payung Village, Linge District.
Students must also cross rivers using suspension ropes to commute, as local pedestrian bridges have been destroyed. This became a primary concern for the PRR Task Force team during their visit to the Central Aceh Regency Government on 29 May 2026. The meeting included representatives from the Central Aceh Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Central Aceh Education Office, affected school principals, teachers, and local community leaders.
Imran, a representative of the PRR National Post, emphasised that the relocation of schools to safe zones must be carried out comprehensively and in an integrated manner. The government is encouraging a unified relocation plan for a single complex encompassing affected Kindergarten, Primary, and Junior High School levels. “Schools and residential areas located within the red zones must be relocated to sites that are both safe and legally cleared for construction,” Imran stated in a written report addressed to PRR Task Force Head Tito Karnavian on Thursday, 4 June 2026.
The Task Force team also faced significant logistical difficulties accessing the affected areas. While inspecting the Peureulak-Lokop route on 28 May 2026, the team was blocked by landslides at several points approximately 24 kilometres from Blangkejeren, in the Leles area. This route serves as a vital link between East Aceh, Gayo Lues, and Central Aceh. The team was forced to detour via the Simpang KKA Aceh Utara route towards Bener Meriah-Takengon, where they encountered further landslides that necessitated traffic diversions. The team finally arrived in Takengon at approximately 23:30 WIB.
Imran noted that the PRR Task Force has coordinated with the National Road Agency (BPJN) and the Aceh Public Works Department to expedite repairs on the landslide-affected roads. Heavy machinery is scheduled to be deployed for route clearing in early June 20_6.
The Reje Payung Village Government has prepared a relocation site and requested immediate land feasibility verification. Residents living in the red zones have expressed willingness to relocate, provided their former lands can still be utilised for agriculture and livestock. The PRR Task Force has requested that school construction proposals be finalised and submitted to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, with copies sent to the Minister of Home Affairs as the Chair of the Sumatra PRR Task Force.
Central Aceh Regent Haili Yoga stated that he will oversee the acceleration of the relocation school construction and reactivate the local PRR Task Force post. “We will immediately submit the proposal to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, with copies to the Minister of Home Affairs,” he said. The Regency Government has already prepared three hectares of land for the new school development.
Meanwhile, the technical verification process for the relocation area is currently awaiting a response from the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG). The Central Aceh BPBD stated that a formal request for verification has been submitted and is being coordinated. In addition to the schools, the PRR Task Force and local government inspected temporary housing built for affected residents in Reje Payung. Access remains a major issue, and the village government has requested the acceleration of a suspension bridge currently being constructed by the TNI to facilitate the mobility of residents and students. The PRR Task Force has communicated with the Commander of Iskandar Muda Military Regional Command (Pangdam IM) regarding this, who indicated readiness to follow up on the bridge’s completion after Eid al-Adha.