43 Broken Bridges, DPR Encourages Kemen PU BNPB To Accelerate Access Recovery

The bridge was cut off due to the floods in Aceh Sumatra (Between 0

JAKARTA - Member of Commission V DPR RI, Ruslan Daud asked the Ministry of Public Works (Kemen PU) to move quickly to carry out emergency handling of damaged infrastructure. He encouraged the Ministry of Public Works to coordinate intensively with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to accelerate the identification of bridges and cut roads.

Ruslan Daud emphasized this in response to thousands of residents of large flood victims in three provinces, namely North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh, which are still isolated due to cut access roads and bridges. This condition, said Ruslan, hampered the distribution of logistics and handling of emergency response.

"We ask the Ministry of Public Works to immediately go to the field to identify the details of the disconnected infrastructure location, and prepare emergency handling steps," Ruslan Daud told reporters, Tuesday, December 2.

Ruslan assessed that the Ministry of Public Works must immediately prepare heavy equipment, technical personnel, and install the bailey bridge at critical points. According to him, the quick step is crucial to facilitate the process of distributing aid and evacuation of residents, including accelerating post-disaster rehabilitation.

The DPR member from the Aceh II Election Area also explained that the floods that had occurred since last weekend caused a number of areas in Aceh Tamiang, especially Tenggulun, Bandar Pusaka, Tamiang Hulu, and Kampruan Muda sub-districts, to be completely cut off from the logistics center. Many refugees were forced to flee to hilly areas and forests to avoid flash floods with water levels reaching 1 1.5 meter.

A similar situation occurred in the Bener Meriah and Central Aceh areas, with the number of isolated residents reaching 178 thousand people. To date, 43 bridges have been broken, 21 road points have been cut off, and 35 landslide points have been recorded.

"Likewise in Bireuen Regency, 11 bridge units were cut off, namely bridges on the Medan-Banda Aceh national route, Kutablang, alternative Rancong Kutablang bridges, alternative Pante Lhoong Peusangan bridges, Suak bridges, Blang Mane, and Teupin Reudeup Peusangan Selatan," he explained.

"As a result, the traffic flow has been cut off so that it has not been able to transport basic necessities from Medan to Bireuen or vice versa. And many people are still isolated, which has resulted in the price of goods soaring, because the stock in the market is running low," continued Ruslan.

Then, he continued, the bridge on the Bireuen-Takegon national route Km 10, Juli Teupin Mane Village and Simpang Jaya Bridge, July District, were also cut off. This makes access from Bireuen to Bener Meriah and Central Aceh and vice versa broken and has resulted in thousands of residents in Bireuen, Bener Meriah and Central Aceh regencies being isolated.

Not only that, the Medan-Banda Aceh national bridge in Meureudu District, Pidie Jaya Regency also broke, the community activity was paralyzed. Likewise in East Aceh Regency, precisely in Peunaron, Lokop and Serba Districts So, there are still many residents who are isolated because it is difficult to access. The roads cannot be traversed because they are heavily damaged and covered with large wood carried by flash floods.

The same thing also happened in North Aceh Regency. Several villages in Sawang District have not been passed, because there is a suspension bridge that has been broken.

"Even in Sawang, the information is that a village has been swallowed up by flooding. Likewise in Seuneudon, Lhoksukon, Matang Kuli, Paya Bakong sub-districts and in a number of other sub-districts in North Aceh, the impact of the flood is very severe," said Ruslan.

Meanwhile in North Sumatra, Ruslan said, the areas of Central Tapanuli and Sibolga are still difficult to reach because the main access is cut off. "For this reason, quick handling is needed. Do not let delays in opening up access to worsening the condition of residents who are currently having difficulty getting basic needs," said Ruslan.

The PKB legislator also asked local governments in the three affected provinces to continue to update the data and ensure that the distribution of aid is right on target, especially for isolated refugee groups in difficult-to-reach areas.

"We continue to encourage increased coordination and communication between local governments and the central government so that this emergency response period takes place more quickly and minimizes the number of casualties," concluded Ruslan.