4 Landslides In Bener Meriah Aceh Can Be Accessed

The PUPR Bener Meriah team and the PUPR TEAM of Aceh Province cleaned the roads affected by landslides on the KKA-Bener Meriah road, Aceh Province on Monday (1/12). (doc BNPB)

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reports that joint teams continue to handle efforts in operations to open land routes in Bener Meriah Regency, Aceh Province. This step is part of the acceleration of emergency handling to restore connectivity in areas affected by the disaster.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, in a written statement on Tuesday, December 2, explained that based on temporary data as of last Sunday, the joint team had successfully cleared four landslide locations on the KKA road, Bener Meriah. The location of the landslide is in the Mount Salak area, one of the mountainous routes with high avalanche intensity.

The process of cleaning up landslide material has now reached kilometer (km) 31. In its construction, the team used three heavy equipment belonging to the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Office. To increase work efficiency, the PUPR Service plans to bring in an additional loader unit so that the road clearing process can be accelerated.

Mount Salak is an important route that connects North Aceh and Bener Meriah Regencies. Since the disaster occurred, the route has experienced a number of major landslides that completely block access, thus hampering people's mobility, and disrupting logistics distribution and humanitarian assistance.

Abdul Muhari said the PUPR Bener Meriah Team together with the PUPR Team of Aceh Province continued to work relentlessly, both day and night, to clean up all remaining landslide locations.

He emphasized that this cross-agency collaboration was carried out through the principle of pentahelix, namely the synergy between the government, academics, the business world, the community, and the media in order to accelerate disaster management.

Efforts to accelerate the opening of this route are the main priority of local governments. Connectivity between North Aceh and Bener Meriah is considered crucial to ensure the distribution of aid, economic recovery of residents, as well as access to basic services for people affected by the disaster.

With the opening of part of the route, logistics distribution can now begin in stages. The government hopes that all access can fully recover in the near future so that community activities return to normal.