Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said it may take up to three years for the government to fully restore Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra after the major floods and landslides in November 2025.
"Recovery efforts could be completed in as little as two years. However, our ministry has proposed a three-year restoration plan to the National Development Planning Agency," he said during a media briefing at the Public Works Ministry office in Jakarta on Friday.
Hanggodo explained that the projected time frame reflects the extensive construction and repair works needed for vital infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and water sources.
Some projects may take longer to complete, he added, citing the layered construction of check dams, the building of sabo dams for debris control, and the restoration of the Lembah Anai Toll Road, which is expected to take one to two years.
"In other words, some physical works are not intended to be completed quickly," the minister stressed.
He further noted that the central government is focusing resources on enabling affected communities to resume daily activities by reopening access to previously isolated areas.
"My primary goal now is to make sure that no village is isolated," Hanggodo said.
He went on to report that the government has reopened all 99 national roads and 33 national bridges damaged by the widespread disasters, which claimed at least 1,190 lives across the three provinces.
"We have now shifted focus to infrastructure repair at the subdistrict and village levels," he said, adding that around 1,900 local roads and 753 bridges were affected by the floods and landslides.
The minister assured that restoration is underway, with 72 percent of roads already functionally operating and bridge repairs progressing to 12 percent.
