Task Force Pursuing Targets to Build Boreholes and Sanitation Facilities in Sumatra

Indonesia’s Task Force for Accelerating Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (Satgas PRR) in Sumatra is continuing to expand borehole and sanitation bathing, washing, and latrine (MCK) facilities across Aceh Province, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Muhammad Tito Karnavian, Head of the Task Force for Accelerating Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sumatra, stated that construction of boreholes and emergency MCK facilities will be accelerated to prevent health crises and hasten the recovery of disaster survivors’ livelihoods.

Karnavian praised cross-sectoral collaboration involving PLN, Danantara, and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in constructing boreholes and MCK sanitation facilities at various disaster-affected locations in Sumatra. This was conveyed at a Ministerial Coordination Meeting on Accelerating Post-Natural Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra held at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Kemenko PMK) in Jakarta on Friday, 27 February.

“For MCK facilities at 80 per cent, boreholes still require much more—only 56 per cent complete with 474 units constructed so far, as there are issues with drinking water supply and severed networks,” stated Karnavian.

As of 26 February, the PRR Task Force recorded the following progress: In Aceh, 54 MCK facilities have been completed out of a target of 72. In North Sumatra, 128 out of 139 MCK facilities have been built. In West Sumatra, 21 out of 46 MCK facilities have been completed.

For borehole construction, 369 out of a target of 578 boreholes in Aceh have been completed. In North Sumatra, 84 out of 152 boreholes have been constructed. In West Sumatra, 21 out of 107 boreholes have been finished.

Overall, 208 MCK facilities have been constructed, representing 80 per cent of the 257 MCK facilities targeted for construction in Sumatra’s disaster-affected areas. For boreholes, a total of 474 have been completed, representing 56 per cent of the 836 boreholes targeted for construction in Sumatra’s disaster-affected areas.

The meeting, chaired by the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Pratikno, was also attended by the Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Djamari Chaniago; the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono; the Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar; the Minister of National Development Planning (PPN)/Bappenas Rachmat Pambudy; and the Head of the Government Procurement Policy Agency Sarah Sadiqa.

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