Arya News - State electricity company PLN faces extraordinary challenges in repairing collapsed transmission towers, citing heavy components and cables that had to be transported from Jakarta to the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, and then airlifted to damaged sites.
JAKARTA – Authorities are struggling to restore power in northern Sumatra, particularly in Aceh, after widespread floods and landslides last month, triggered by a rare cyclone and exacerbated by environmental destruction, with felled trees sweeping away villages, causing massive damage and hampering recovery.
State electricity company PLN faces extraordinary challenges in repairing collapsed transmission towers, president director Darmawan Prasodjo has revealed, citing heavy components and cables that had to be transported from Jakarta to provincial capital, Banda Aceh, and then airlifted to damaged sites.
“Some 35 tonnes of tower repair materials had to be airlifted by helicopter, piece by piece,” Darmawan Prasodjo said during a livestreamed briefing with Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia on Tuesday.
He added that although transmission lines had been physically repaired, the system was still unable to deliver electricity due to unexpected “major technical challenges,” leaving four of Aceh’s hardest-hit regencies, namely Central Aceh, Bener Meriah, Aceh Tamiang and Gayo Lues, in partial darkness.
While administrative centers in the four regencies have been reconnected, overall power supply in Aceh remains insufficient, and Banda Aceh continues to experience rolling blackouts.
Darmawan apologized and clarified PLN’s previous claim that Aceh had been 93 percent re-electrified, a figure announced by Minister Bahlil during a visit to Bireuen on Sunday and reportedly relayed to President Prabowo Subianto , who was told the province would be fully powered that night.
Residents, however, strongly disputed the claim, prompting Bahlil to issue an apology during the joint briefing.
PLN aims to gradually restore electricity in Aceh between Dec. 11 and Dec. 31. As of Tuesday, 1,234 villages remained without power, Tempo reported. In North and West Sumatra, electricity has begun to return more widely, though full restoration is still ongoing.
Beyond electricity issues, affected regions are facing fuel shortages. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Wednesday that state energy firm Pertamina had delivered 13,900 kiloliters of fuel via tanker ships to Meulaboh in Aceh and Sibolga in North Sumatra, to be further distributed to surrounding areas.
Furthermore, efforts to restore communications are also underway, with the Communications and Digital Ministry having reactivated 52 percent of more than 3,400 base transceiver stations (BTS) in Aceh. Meanwhile, in West Sumatra only seven of 19 regencies and municipalities have regained cellular connectivity.
Relief challenges
With the majority of the 800,000 evacuees now concentrated in Aceh, the BNPB has centered its relief operations in that province, directing air shipments through Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport.
However, land access remains disrupted as road and bridge repairs continue. At least two major bridges in Bireuen and Central Aceh are still under reconstruction and are expected to reopen by the weekend.
Relief deliveries in North Sumatra have also been slowed by heavy rainfall. “For today’s logistic distribution, heavy rain has delayed flights from Silangit Airport to Central Tapanuli, with only a few able to depart,” BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a livestreamed briefing on Wednesday.
In West Sumatra, most areas are now accessible by land, allowing authorities to optimize aid distribution, though several bridges remain under repair.
As of Wednesday, the BNPB reported that the death toll in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra had reached 969. The number of displaced people stood at 894,501, with 252 still missing.
Prolonged emergency status
On Monday, West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi extended the province’s disaster emergency status for another two weeks, citing ongoing search efforts and incomplete restoration of basic public services.
Aceh, where disaster status was originally set to end on Thursday, is reportedly planning a similar extension,. Meanwhile, North Sumatra’s disaster response post recommended prolonging emergency status in 18 vulnerable regencies to accelerate recovery efforts.
The extensions come amid calls for President Prabowo to declare a national state of emergency, as several regional leaders said they were struggling to respond to the disaster using only local resources.
Muhammad Nasir Djamil, an Aceh representative in the House of Representatives who visited affected areas this week, said a national emergency declaration was urgently needed as many areas remained “untouched”.
“Health conditions, especially for pregnant women in evacuation sites, are worrying. Many evacuees still lack basic necessities such as food, and they are increasingly vulnerable to respiratory infections, skin diseases and other illnesses,” the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) lawmaker told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Nasir added that community leaders in Aceh had appealed to the President to declare a national emergency.
“They hope the President will not hesitate to declare a national disaster despite the risks the state may have to bear. Saving lives must be the priority.”