TNI and Universities Involved in Aceh Tamiang Flood-Affected Rice Field Rehabilitation
The rehabilitation of flood-affected rice fields in Aceh Tamiang Regency does not solely rely on heavy machinery on-site. The government is also involving the TNI Army and universities to ensure a swift and targeted recovery process.
In the first phase, 712 hectares of rice fields are being rehabilitated in Manyak Payed, Bendahara, and Karang Baru subdistricts. The programme is being implemented through a type 2 self-management mechanism resulting from collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Kodim 0117/Aceh Tamiang.
On-site, TNI personnel handle physical construction work, including operating heavy machinery, mud stripping, water channel normalisation, and repairing damaged rice field bunds. Meanwhile, Aceh Tamiang’s Agriculture, Livestock, and Plantation Office (Distanakbun), in conjunction with the provincial government, oversees the implementation of these works.
Irwan Hadi, Head of the Crop Production and Horticulture Section at Distanakbun Aceh Tamiang, stated that the rehabilitation process also involves Universitas Malikussaleh (Unimal) in preparing Survey Investigation Design (SID) and Detail Engineering Design (DED).
‘The SID and DED planning was carried out by Malikussaleh University to ensure the rehabilitation aligns with the actual land damage conditions,’ said Irwan on Thursday, 21 May 2026.
According to Irwan, university involvement is crucial because flood-affected rice fields have varying levels of sedimentation, requiring tailored technical solutions. ‘Not all fields undergo mud stripping; only those with thick mud deposits are treated,’ he said.
These steps are taken to save time and budget, ensuring more effective rice field rehabilitation. Through this multi-institutional collaboration, the government aims to get farmers back to their fields before the peak of the 2026 dry season.
In addition to the main rehabilitation, Aceh Tamiang Regency Government is implementing the Optimisation of Land (Oplah) programme to address lightly damaged rice fields. This initiative relies on farmer groups’ mutual assistance to clear sedimentation and repair bunds and water channels.
In Manyak Payed subdistrict, 42 farmer groups covering approximately 593 hectares have signed Oplah programme cooperation agreements. ‘Although the budget has not yet been disbursed, funds are already available at the Aceh Provincial Agriculture Office,’ Irwan said.
Oplah also collaborates with Samudra University (Unsam) in Langsa for Survey Investigation and Planning (SIP) to ensure land treatment matches on-site damage conditions.
Oplah’s budget is allocated at Rp4.6 million per hectare and directly transferred to farmer group accounts to support independent land recovery work. ‘Withdrawals must be known by the farmer groups and closely monitored by the office,’ Irwan said.
He stressed that the Oplah programme will target all flood-affected rice fields in Aceh Tamiang regardless of farmers’ group membership. ‘Our indicator is total rice field area, not the number of groups,’ Irwan said.