ACEH TAMIANG — The Aceh Tamiang Regency Government is moving swiftly to take strategic measures in anticipating the threat of recurring floods caused by silting and erosion along the Tamiang River. The Regent of Aceh Tamiang, Retired Police Inspector General Drs. Armia Pahmi, M.H., has officially urged the central government to immediately execute comprehensive river management and normalisation works.
This decisive action was taken to ensure that ongoing post-disaster regional recovery programs and budget allocations do not go to waste. Overhauling river infrastructure is seen as a vital key to providing maximum protection for residents' safety, reviving economic activity, and securing regional development assets.
Threat of Silting and Erosion
The current condition of the Tamiang River flow suffers from an alarming level of shallowing due to sedimentation and riverbank erosion at various vulnerable points. This condition significantly reduces the river's water storage capacity, posing a high risk of triggering overflows into residential areas during heavy rainfall.
Without direct physical intervention in the form of mud dredging and permanent embankment repairs by the central government, the threat of subsequent flood disasters will continue to loom over local communities. Therefore, large-scale intervention by the relevant ministry is deemed urgent for immediate implementation on the ground.
Economic and Asset Recovery
Beyond human safety, managing the Tamiang River is crucial for sustaining the economic recovery of the community, which was paralyzed by the disaster. Public facilities and infrastructure assets currently undergoing post-disaster rehabilitation require guaranteed protection from recurring flood threats.
The Aceh Tamiang Regency Government emphasized that development investments and reconstruction aid will not be effective unless the root cause triggering the floods is resolved both upstream and downstream. River normalisation is an absolute prerequisite for local business operators and farmers to gain the certainty needed to rebuild.
Need for Central Government Synergy
The urge conveyed by Regent Armia Pahmi underscores the commitment of the Aceh Tamiang Regency Government in overseeing the comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction process of the region. The local government hopes that the central government, through relevant technical ministries, will prioritize funding and the Tamiang River normalisation program within the national recovery agenda.
Synergy between the central and regional governments is expected to accelerate the execution of this normalisation project, freeing the people of Aceh Tamiang from the anxiety of annual flooding and allowing regional development to proceed sustainably.
Reference source:Kanalinspirasi – Cegah Banjir Berulang, Bupati Aceh Tamiang Desak Pusat Segera Normalisasi Sungai Tamiang
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