Minister PU Reveals the Reason Why Aceh People Find it Difficult to Get Clean Water After the Great Flood

JAKARTA - Minister of Public Works (PU) Dody Hanggodo revealed the cause of the difficult condition of clean water supply after the recent floods and landslides in Aceh Province. This condition is due to the occurrence of river silting.

Dody explained that almost all rivers in the district had widened and silted up to two to three times their original condition. This caused many Water Treatment Plants (WTP) located on the banks of the river to be covered with mud.

"Many water treatment plants (water treatment plants) located on the banks of the river are covered with mud, so that later causes you all to have difficulty in getting clean water in all affected districts," said Dody in a Coordination Meeting (Rakor) of the Post-disaster Recovery Task Force with K/L of the Affected Regions, broadcast via YouTube DPR RI, Tuesday, December 30.

He said, currently his party is working hard to restore the WTP so that it can immediately be active again. The PU Ministry will also build a number of new WTPs in the next 3-4 months.

"Friends of service providers can start working. Our hope is that in the next three to four months, several water treatment plants with a capacity of around 50 liters per second can be immediately built at several points," he said.

In addition, Dody has also received a proposal from the local government (Pemda) to build a dam in the Pidie Jaya area. The PU Ministry will follow up by conducting an in-depth study on the opportunities for dam construction in the area.

"We have also sent a team of consultants to study the condition of the river and also because there was a suggestion to make a dam, we will also study the dam," he explained.

"Maybe later we will also see whether it is necessary, for example, a dam or dam in the Gayo Lues area, so that we can avoid similar disasters in the future," he continued.

Furthermore, Dody also conveyed the progress of handling in a number of Aceh dams. One of them is the Jambo Aye Dam in North Aceh which is currently still in the process of cleaning up the accumulated wood, so that hopefully the flow of water will soon return to normal.

Then there is also the Keureuto Dam, which is also undergoing cleaning. Dody said, his party would try to accelerate the cleaning until the construction of the WTP, so that hopefully the sources of clean water can recover immediately and flow again.

"With all our limitations, we will improve ourselves to provide better support to the regents from the affected districts," he explained.