Task Force increases boreholes and sanitation facilities in disaster areas

Jakarta - The Acceleration Task Force for Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) following the Sumatra disaster continues to expand borehole and sanitation bathing, washing and latrine (MCK) facilities across Aceh Province, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

According to PRR Task Force data as of 26 February, of the 72 MCK facilities to be constructed in Aceh, 54 have been completed. Of the 139 MCK facilities to be built in North Sumatra, 128 have been completed. Of the 46 MCK facilities scheduled for West Sumatra, 21 have been completed.

Regarding borehole construction, of the 578 boreholes to be drilled in Aceh, 369 have been completed. Of the 152 boreholes planned for North Sumatra, 84 have been completed. Of the 107 boreholes scheduled for West Sumatra, 21 have been completed.

In total, 208 MCK facilities have been constructed, representing 80 percent of the 257 MCK facilities targeted for construction in Sumatra’s disaster areas. For boreholes, 474 have been completed, representing 56 percent of the 836 boreholes targeted for Sumatra’s disaster zones.

Muhammad Tito Karnavian, Chairman of the Acceleration Task Force for Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) in Sumatra, stated that the construction of boreholes and emergency sanitation facilities continues to be accelerated to meet the basic needs of Sumatra’s disaster survivors. This measure is undertaken to prevent health crises and expedite the recovery of disaster survivors’ lives.

Tito praised the cross-sector collaboration that has been mobilised to construct boreholes and sanitation facilities at Sumatra’s disaster locations. Clean water and sanitation facilities are essential, as water supply networks and sanitation infrastructure were damaged by the landslides and floods that struck Sumatra in late last year.

“We are deeply grateful to PLN, Danantara, and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for their contributions to borehole and MCK construction. We have achieved 80% completion for MCK facilities, but boreholes remain a significant challenge with only 56% completion on 474 units, as we continue to address drinking water shortages and broken water distribution networks,” Tito said during the ministerial-level coordination meeting on the acceleration of post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK) in Jakarta.

The meeting, chaired by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno, was also attended by the Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Djamari Chaniago; Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Territorial Management Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono; Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar; Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas Rachmat Pambudy; and Head of the Government Goods and Services Procurement Policy Institute Sarah Sadiqa.

Also present virtually were the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Brian Yuliarto; Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid; Deputy Minister for Women Empowerment and Child Protection Veronica Tan; Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency Suharyanto; and Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency Arif Satria.