Aceh officials propose heavy equipment for flood-prone areas

Aceh Vice Governor Fadhlullah has proposed the provision of heavy equipment to flood-prone regencies and cities through a loan-use scheme. During a meeting led by the Ministry of Home Affairs, he emphasized that local governments need immediate access to machinery, such as at least four excavators per area, to facilitate river dredging and normalization during flood events.

He noted that siltation and changes in river courses have damaged infrastructure, including bridges previously repaired by the military. He suggested that local governments utilize Unforeseen Expenditure (BTT) funds to support the operational costs of this equipment to ensure faster field responses.

Meanwhile, the Aceh Agriculture and Plantation Office reports that approximately 57,000 hectares of rice fields were impacted by flooding. Of this total, 16,000 hectares are classified as severely damaged and have not yet received intervention. While light and moderate damage areas are undergoing repair, the government is still conducting studies and investigations to determine the recovery patterns for the most heavily affected lands.