Aceh – Indonesia, Vice Governor of Aceh, Fadhlullah, popularly known as Dek Fadh, has proposed providing heavy equipment through a loan scheme for regencies and cities in flood-prone areas. He submitted the proposal during a virtual follow-up meeting on river basin management and handling held at the Aceh Vice Governor’s Meeting Room on Friday, October 2, 2026.
“We propose a solution where flood-prone regencies and cities receive heavy equipment—at least four excavators—under a loan-use system. This way, when a flood occurs, local governments can take immediate action because local leaders know their region’s conditions and needs best,” said Dek Fadh.
Dek Fadh emphasized that placing heavy equipment in high-risk areas is essential for local governments to respond faster during disasters, particularly for river dredging and normalization work.
He added that regency and municipal governments could utilize their Unexpected Expenditures (BTT) budget to cover the operational costs of the machinery.
According to him, the need for heavy equipment stems from the siltation and shifting channels of several rivers in Aceh following recent floods.
He noted that these conditions have compromised newly rebuilt post-disaster infrastructure, citing two bridges recently completed by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) that suffered damage again due to recent flooding.
In addition to heavy machinery, Dek Fadh suggested simplifying the Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) process for emergency river management.
He argued that emergency procedures must be streamlined so urgent field operations are not delayed by lengthy administrative processes.
“For emergency situations, we hope for a mechanism that simplifies field execution—for instance, through an official letter from the command post chief or task force head acknowledged by relevant ministries and agencies. The key is taking immediate action,” he stated.
In response, the Head of the Acceleration Task Force for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (Satgas PRR) Command Post assured that the input would be followed up.
Local governments were also urged to complete their data collection regarding regional needs and conditions to ensure relief efforts are efficient and targeted.
The meeting was chaired by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Police Commissioner General Tomsi Tohir, and attended by related ministries, agencies, regional leaders, and disaster management officials from affected regions.***