North Musi Rawas Regent Appreciates The Establishment Of The South Sumatra Deep Bridge

Photo: Special

JAKARTA - Bridge access is very important for remote communities who have to risk their lives when crossing large rivers.

Many residents and school children have to struggle with the swift flow of the river with the risk of being swept away due to strong draw of water just for the sake of work or studying. One of them is the people in the interior of the Sumatra region who every day still have to fight and sacrifice in order to be able to cross the river because they do not have bridge access.

For example, such as residents in Muara Kulam Village, Ulu Rawas District, North Musi Rawas Regency, South Sumatra Province. There are about 300 residents who have to fight the swift 50-meter-wide river, including children who go to school every day.

Even schools have to be closed if the river flows are busy. This is of course to be aware of and prevent children from drifting when they want to go to school.

Based on this fact, the Pelosok Negeri Bridge Program, which was initiated by the Sahabat Dalam Foundation since March 2021, received an award from the Regent of North Musi Rawas, H. Devi Suhartoni.

This award was given in a series of bridge inauguration events held on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at SDN 2 Muara Kulam, North Musi Rawas Regency, South Sumatra.

The award charter was given to Wafiq Zuhair Muhammad as Director of the Sahabat Dalam Foundation.

The bridge that was built is known to be a suspension bridge with a soft mooring technique that connects two areas. The construction of the three suspension bridges is located in three different locations, including the Chinese River, Karang Pinggan, and Batu Tulis in North Musi Rawas Regency, South Sumatra.

The first bridge in the Chinese River was completed in February 2022. Meanwhile, the Karang Pinggan and Batu Tulis bridge was completed in August 2023.

Wafiq Zuhair Muhammad as Director of the Sahabat Dalam Foundation said that the Pelosok Negeri Bridge program aims to help solve limited infrastructure problems in the 3T area (frontier, remote, and underdeveloped).

"We thank the government of North Musi Rawas Regency for fully supporting this program. This award is our spirit to build other bridges in remote parts of Indonesia," said Wafiq Zuhair Muhammad, Director of Friends of the Interior.

Local residents also mourned the construction of a bridge in their hamlet. The reason is that before the bridge was built, residents were forced to cross the river by swimming or riding a simple bamboo raft.

Then with the construction of the bridge, residents can now cross the river more safely, comfortably, and faster.