Three months needed to clear rubble from disaster
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government said on Monday it would take at least three months to clear the debris from Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatra provinces, citing severely damaged infrastructure as the main obstacle to clearing efforts.
Minister of Public Works Djoko Kirmanto said it would take one month just to clean up the provincial capital of Aceh, Banda Aceh, which was hardest hit by the earthquake and tsunami on Dec. 26.
Another two months were needed to clear the other affected areas of Aceh and North Sumatra, he added.
"Initially, we planned to have everything cleared within a month, but seeing the extent of the problems and the massive amount of debris, it is unlikely we can finish the job within that time frame. We may need around three months...," Djoko said before meeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta.
The minister said the government was mobilizing about 100 dump trucks as reinforcement to the 69 trucks already in Banda Aceh and another 17 trucks in Meulaboh.
Meulaboh, the city closest to the epicenter, was leveled by the 9.0 quake.
Other heavy equipment such as bulldozers, excavators and loaders would also be sent to Aceh soon, Djoko added.
"We need at least 300 dump trucks just to gather the debris in piles ... we have mobilized equipment from all sources such as private companies and local authorities to get what we need," he said.
In an effort to open road access to Meulaboh, the government has sent three Bally bridges -- portable iron bridges -- to replace broken bridges in Tapak Tuan, Aceh.
"The bridges will arrive in two days and it will take four days to install them ... for land transportation to Meulaboh from Medan (North Sumatra)," said Djoko.
Another problem authorities face is finding the space and determining a way to dispose of the rubble.
"We have decided to burn wooden debris in the outskirts of the city, but for the rest, we are still considering measures on how to deal with them," Djoko said.
Clearing efforts continued on Monday in Aceh, with rescuers, security officers and volunteers using heavy equipment to recover decomposing bodies and remove rubble from streets and rivers.
Daily life has barely returned to normal, excepting a few small traditional markets and groceries in Banda Aceh that have opened to sell basic needs.
In addition, several banks have resumed operations in the ravaged city.
Meanwhile, the special presidential envoy for disaster in the North Sumatra island of Nias, Lt. Gen. (ret) T.B. Silalahi, said stability had been reestablished on several islands off Aceh and that local authorities had gradually resumed daily activities.
"The islands only suffered minor damage to their periphery and 139 casualties. Aside from this, everything is under control and we can begin reconstruction soon," Silalahi said.