Threatening the Settlement of Residents, Normalizing the Batang Kuranji River is Called After the Subsequent Flood in Padang

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works (PU) said that the condition of the Batang Kuranji River in Pauh District, Padang City, West Sumatra Province, had threatened the road and residential bodies of residents following the flood some time ago.

It is known that the subsequent flood hit the area again on January 2, 2026 due to high rainfall intensity, which caused the Batang Kuranji River to overflow.

"The river conditions at the Batang Kuranji location, especially in the Batu Busuk area, have threatened the road and residential areas," said Head of the Sungai Regional Office (BWS) Sumatera V Ditjen Sumber Daya Air Ministry PU Naryo Widodo in a written statement, Thursday, January 8.

Therefore, the BWS Sumatera V of the Ministry of PU continues to normalize the river to reduce the risk of repeated disasters.

The implementation of the normalization of the Batang Kuranji River is carried out by focusing on opening and directing the river channel to the middle.

"Currently, we are dealing with opening the river channels and directing them to the middle, so that the left side of the river that threatens the road and people's settlements can be immediately dealt with," he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of PU has deployed 11 heavy equipment units out of a total of 15 units planned, with seven heavy equipment units focused on the Batang Kuranji River location in the Batu Busuk area.

In addition to river normalization to direct the flow, emergency handling was also carried out to restore the village road which was broken along 200 meters.

"And it is targeted to be completed in about four days, so that the activities of the surrounding community can return to normal," said Naryo.

According to Naryo, his party will also discuss with academics to formulate a more comprehensive handling of rivers.

"Considering that the function of the Batang Kuranji River is currently considered to have been reduced by almost 50 percent," he said.

In addition, said Naryo, his party also asked for the support of the Padang City Government (Pemkot) regarding the availability of land (land clearing) along the river banks if long-term handling is carried out.

"So that the implementation can run smoothly without being hampered by social problems," he added.