Sawah Tertutup Lumpur, Tito Harap Kementan Segera Turun Tangan

JAKARTA - Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian as Chairman of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the Post-disaster Region of Sumatra emphasized the importance of the Ministry of Agriculture's support to accelerate the recovery of rice fields covered with mud due to flooding in Meurah Dua.

Tito hopes that the Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman will immediately pay attention so that the affected agricultural land can be productive again.

"Hopefully later Mr. Minister, Mr. Amran Sulaiman will pay immediate attention to the condition of this land so that it can be productive again," said Tito in his statement in Jakarta, Saturday, February 21.

He explained that about 1,500 hectares of rice fields owned by residents had suffered heavy damage due to thick mud. The thickness of the mud in a number of points was reported to be 50 centimeters to 1 meter. In addition, thousands of other hectares of land were recorded as having suffered minor to moderate damage.

According to Tito, this condition needs to be addressed immediately considering that Pidie Jaya is one of the food storage areas with a total agricultural land area of around 8,800 hectares. If quick rehabilitation is not carried out, land damage has the potential to reduce rice production.

"Because it is also a pity for the community. In addition, our rice production can also decrease," he said.

Tito emphasized that accelerating the rehabilitation of agricultural land is crucial so that the paddy fields covered with mud can be returned to function as planting land and support the recovery of the community's economy after the disaster.