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Bisnis Indonesia - Infrastruktur transportasi darat: Aie Dingin butuh perhatian khusus
21 March 2024
By M. Noli Hendra
Bisnis, Gunung Talang – The national road that connects Solok Regency and South Solok Regency in West Sumatra requires special attention as its condition is concerning due to mining activities.
West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi, who conducted a site inspection on the road’s conditions, stated that many residents have long been complaining about the state of the road in Aie Dingin, Solok Regency.
"The road has been repaired in the past, but it did not last long. After conducting an inspection and assessing all aspects, it was found that there are illegal or unauthorised type C mining activities.," he said on Wednesday (20/3).
He explained that the type C mining activities have affected the road’s conditions. Water from the mining activities flows towards the road, leading to erosion and making it susceptible to landslides and road subsidence.
"The cause of the poor condition of the national road in Aie Dingin is due to type C mining activities. I have even asked the workers there to stop, especially since the mining activities are unauthorised," he said.
The severely damaged condition of the national road in Aie Dingin spans approximately 20 kilometres.
Therefore, he requested various relevant agencies, such as West Sumatra Environmental Agency and West Sumatra Energy and Mineral Resources Agency, to evaluate the type C mining activities.
"I request not to issue permits for the type C mining activities in Aie Dingin. Just close and stop it, so the next steps can focus on repairing the national road," he said.
Moreover, the root cause of the road damage in Aie Dingin has been discovered not only in one location but also in five locations. Overall, the most severe damage has been observed.
The presence of illegal type C mining activities not only adversely affect the roads in Aie Dingin but also its residential buildings.
From the inspection result, it is clear that mining activities on the east side of the road have caused uncontrolled water runoff, gradually leading to landslides and road collapse on the west side.
Therefore, Mahyeldi emphasised that the flow of water from mining activities must be stopped, either by constructing proper drainage or evaluating the mine itself.
"I have already stopped the mining activities in east side of Aie Dingin because they are unauthorised and have caused significant damage," he explained.
Not only that, mining activities in the Lekok area are also being evaluated. If any issues are found, the mining activities in question will also be stopped.
Mahyeldi stressed the importance of taking firm action in addressing these issues.
Because the impact of these activities is expected to render the national road segment irreparable.
This condition is projected to have a negative impact on hundreds of thousands of residents in the two regencies who rely on this road as their only access.
"We in the province hope that after all the issues are resolved, the Road Agency can immediately improve the quality of the road. Because this is very important for the community," he said.
Landslide-prone
Meanwhile, Head of the National Road Management Agency (BPJN) of West Sumatra Thabrani explained that the 20-kilometer national road segment in Aie Dingin was highly prone to landslides.
This is because there are improperly regulated mining activities around the road segment.
This condition, he added, caused the accumulation of water channels or water flow crossing the road, which led to landslides or road collapse on the west side.
"The heavy rainfall on 7 March caused 10 landslides along this road segment. We have cleared six spots, while four others require special and immediate attention. If not, then this road will quickly become impassable," said Thabrani.
According to him, after the inspection, BPJN hopes to find the right solution to address the long-term road damage caused by mining activities.
Because he believes that improving road quality will be in vain if mining arrangements in the area are not proper.
"For now, we will still maintain the national road, but with a functional system. We will fill the holes with gravel or [implement] other techniques," he explained.
However, Thabrani admitted that improvements could not be carried out if the mining arrangement is not proper and correct.
"Make sure the mining arrangement is proper first, then we can proceed to improve the road. If not, the national road in Aie Dingin will continue to face these challenges. As long as such mining activities persist, improving the road in Aie Dingin will be difficult," he concluded.
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