Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – The Government has allowed timber debris left behind by recent floods and landslides in Sumatra to be used for disaster recovery, including the construction of temporary and permanent housing.
Floods that struck North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh between Nov. 24 and 26 swept thousands of large logs – suspected to be linked to illegal logging – into homes and bridges, leaving widespread destruction and killing more than 1,000 people.
State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the Forestry Ministry has issued regulations permitting the use of the timber for rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
"The use of timber is permitted for rehabilitation or reconstruction purposes, including the construction of temporary shelters and permanent housing," Prasetyo said at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta on Friday.
He added that residents may also use the timber, provided they coordinate with regional governments. The rules have been conveyed to provincial and district administrations to ensure oversight at every level.
"The regulations are already in place and have been communicated to provincial and municipal governments. If communities want to make use of the timber, it must be coordinated with the relevant authorities at each level," he said.
The issue has drawn widespread attention after floodwaters carried massive tree trunks into residential areas, destroying homes and infrastructure. The sheer volume of logs has fueled public concern about deforestation and its role in worsening flooding triggered by Cyclone Senyar.
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), as of 8 a.m. on Friday, the death toll from the Sumatra flood disaster stood at 1,068, with 190 people still missing and around 7,000 injured.
BNPB said the disaster impacted 52 regencies and cities, damaging a total of 147,236 homes. Of these, 44,051 were severely damaged, 29,809 suffered moderate damage, and 73,376 were lightly damaged.
Damage was also reported to public infrastructure, including health facilities, schools, places of worship, government buildings and bridges. BNPB's official dashboard recorded damage to 1,600 public facilities, 219 health facilities, 967 educational institutions, 434 houses of worship, 290 office buildings and 145 bridges.
The Environment Ministry has launched investigations into eight companies suspected of worsening the disaster through deforestation. Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said some operations, including gold miner Agincourt Resources, state-owned plantation firm PTPN III and Batang Toru hydropower developer North Sumatra Hydro Energy, have been suspended.
Preliminary findings indicate extensive forest conversion across five major watersheds, weakening soil absorption and amplifying flooding. Disaster agency BNPB reported that as of Monday morning, 1,016 people had been confirmed dead, 212 were missing and more than 7,600 were injured.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/govt-allows-flood-debris-timber-for-sumatra-disaster-recover