Road Buried by Landslide, BPBD Agam Tries to Open Access to Isolated Pinang Balirik

AGAM - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Agam Regency, West Sumatra, stated that Jorong Pinang Balirik, Nagari Pagadih, Palupuh District, was still isolated until Thursday due to the impact of hydrometeorological disasters in the form of flash floods and landslides.

Head of the Agam BPBD Implementation Team Rahmat Lasmono said that access to the road to Jorong Pinang Balirik is still buried in landslide material so that vehicles cannot pass through.

"The road to the location is still buried in landslides, so the access is cut off. We are still trying to open access to the area," said Rahmat in Lubuk Basung, Antara, Thursday, December 18.

He explained that in Jorong Pinang Balirik there were 10 families with a total of 26 people who were currently affected by the interruption of access.

The Agam Regency Government, he continued, continues to strive to open traffic access by accelerating the cleaning of landslide material using heavy equipment. However, this process is hampered by the many landslide points in the Nagari Pagadih area.

"We have deployed heavy equipment, but there are quite a few landslide points in Pagadih, so cleaning the material to Pinang Balirik takes time," he said.

Rahmat added that the flash flood and landslide disasters that hit the Agam area caused a number of areas to be isolated due to the road body being buried by landslide material and some road sections were severely damaged or blocked.

For some other areas, he said, the landslide material has been successfully cleaned up and the road that was blocked has been built an emergency bridge so that public access is open again.

Access to Kampung Harapan, Jorong Anak Aia Kijang, Nagari Nan Tujuh, Palupuh District, can now be passed even though it is still limited for pedestrians.

Meanwhile, six piers in Nagari Malalak Timur and Nagari Malalak Utara, Malalak District, can only be passed by two-wheeled vehicles. Access to Nagari Malalak Barat, Malalak District, still has to be through a river or turn through the territory of Padang Pariaman Regency.

Then Pambatuangan Village, Lawang Village, Matur District, can also only be accessed using two-wheeled vehicles. Meanwhile, Lambeh Village in Ampek Koto Palembayan Village and Sumbarang Aia Village in Salareh Aia Timur Village, Palembayan District, can only be accessed on foot.

"For the four piers in three villages in Tanjung Raya District, they can now be accessed after the emergency bridge was built," he said.

"BPBD Agam, said Rahmat, continues to strive to accelerate the restoration of road access so that community activities can return to normal.

"We are trying as quickly as possible to restore normal traffic access in the affected areas," he said.