With 15.72 Percent Remaining, PRR Task Force Prioritises Three Types of Mud Cleanup Sites
Slowly, the mud residue from flash floods no longer covers the land in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The Post-Disaster Sumatra Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Task Force (Satgas PRR) reports that 84.28 percent of the mud cleanup in these three provinces has been completed.
Through field findings, the Task Force has identified at least 528 locations as mud cleanup sites, comprising 476 in Aceh Province, 23 in North Sumatra, and 29 in West Sumatra. As of 2 April 2026, 445 locations have been fully cleaned, leaving 83 sites or 15.72 percent still in progress.
The cleanup activities are conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on reopening national roads, which has been 100 percent completed and functionally operational since 25 January 2026. The second phase targets mud cleanup in three types of locations: schools, public facilities such as health centres, mosques, and others, as well as offices.
“This mud cleanup is carried out to restore community activities and ensure that public facilities affected by floods and landslides can return to normal function,” said Interior Minister and Satgas PRR Chairman Tito Karnavian on Sunday, 29 March 2029.
From its progress, this process shows significant advancement. On 9 March 2026, Satgas PRR had cleaned 406 locations. Thus, reaching 445 indicates progress of 39 sites in less than a month.
In Aceh Province, 476 locations have been designated for cleanup. Of these, 396 have been completed as of 2 April 2026, leaving 80 locations still in process. This means Aceh has completed 83.19 percent of its cleanup targets.
The facilities still in process for the school category include 14 schools in East Aceh, 24 schools in Aceh Tamiang, 7 schools in Bireuen, 11 schools in North Aceh, 2 schools in Pidie, and 4 schools in Pidie Jaya.
Meanwhile, there are 17 public facility sites still in process, spread across Bireuen, Central Aceh, Langsa City, and East Aceh. For the office category, there are 15 sites still in cleanup, spread across Aceh Tamiang, Langsa City, East Aceh, North Aceh, and Bireuen.
In North Sumatra, the cleanup targets 23 locations. To date, Satgas PRR has completed 20 locations, leaving 3 sites still in process. These three locations are SMP Swasta Santo Fransiskus, UPTD SD Negeri 153064 Lopian 1, and SMKN 1 Badiri, all in Central Tapanuli Regency.
Good news comes from West Sumatra. All 29 locations disrupting community mobility have been fully completed since early March 2026.
These mud cleanup efforts employ various methods. In addition to involving apparatus such as the TNI, Police, and IPDN civil service trainees, Task Force Chairman Tito also launched a cash-for-work initiative or cash-for-labour through Decree No. 900.1.3/1084/SJ issued on 2 March 2026. Through this scheme, local governments have an easier option using regional transfer funds (TKD) to involve communities in the recovery process.
In its implementation, this programme has been applied in two districts in Aceh Province, namely Pidie Jaya and Aceh Tamiang, at the end of March 2026. The cash-for-work programme serves as a solution to accelerate recovery while maintaining the purchasing power of disaster-affected communities, as participating residents also gain income through the scheme.