Minister Accelerates Post-Disaster Sanitation Repairs in Aceh

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Public Works (PU) is accelerating the restoration of sanitation infrastructure in Aceh Tamiang Regency, Aceh Province, following recent natural disasters.

The initiative is intended to prevent environmental health risks and ensure the quick recovery of basic public services for affected communities.

Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo stressed that sanitation is a fundamental necessity. The ministry’s immediate focus is on restoring Final Processing Sites (TPA) and Fecal Sludge Treatment Plants (IPLT) to avert long-term health hazards.

“Properly functioning sanitation is a basic human need. Therefore, landfill and wastewater treatment plants must be managed quickly, gradually, and sustainably to prevent future health risks,” Dody said in Jakarta on Thursday, January 22, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Over the past 10 days, the Aceh Building, Infrastructure, and Area Settlement Center (BPBPK) has carried out intensive cleaning at the TPA Rantau and IPLT Rantau facilities.

The work is being conducted through a cash-for-work (padat karya) program that provides immediate economic benefits to local residents while accelerating debris removal.

The TPA Rantau facility, which still operates under an open dumping system, has become a priority due to its potential to cause environmental pollution and health problems. Recovery efforts are focused on clearing access roads and removing materials that obstruct operations and vehicle mobility.

As the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase begins, the ministry is planning both restoration and upgrades to sanitation infrastructure to ensure that waste and wastewater management systems function normally and sustainably.

Measures include repairing existing landfill cells, constructing new ones, improving access roads, and procuring heavy equipment to support operations.

For the IPLT Rantau, recovery involves cleaning the area and rehabilitating treatment units, including anaerobic, facultative, maturation, and wetland ponds. Initial steps have already been taken to remove sludge from processing tanks.

Across Aceh Province, the ministry is upgrading 11 TPAs and 10 IPLTs in 11 regencies and cities.

In North Sumatra, improvements are underway at two TPAs and one IPLT, while in West Sumatra, one TPA is being upgraded in a targeted regency. These efforts are part of a broader initiative to restore and modernize sanitation services, safeguard public health, and accelerate post-disaster recovery.

Looking ahead, the ministry has proposed the adoption of Net-Zero Toilet 5.0 technology, an environmentally friendly innovation designed to provide sustainable sanitation solutions in disaster-prone areas. The initiative is expected to ensure that recovery efforts contribute to Indonesia’s long-term environmental and public health goals. ***