Prabowo expects flood-stricken Sumatra to return to normal in 2 to 3 months as death toll exceeds 1,000

[JAKARTA] Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto said on Monday (Dec 15) that activities in areas on Sumatra that were hit by deadly floods may return to normal in the next two to three months, after the disaster claimed more than 1,000 lives.

The death toll from the cyclone-induced floods and landslides, which destroyed houses and forced people into evacuation centres on Sumatra in late November, reached 1,030 as at Monday, with 206 people still missing, based on official data.

The storms also killed about 200 people in southern Thailand and Malaysia.

Prabowo told a Cabinet meeting on Monday that reconstruction in the three affected provinces was already underway, adding that he had already apologised because authorities could not realistically complete the process in a matter of days.

“I don’t have the staff of Moses,” he said, referring to the biblical figure’s ability to perform miracles. “We cannot finish this in three to five days. Perhaps in two to three months, activities will return to normal.”

Prabowo said that authorities would soon build hundreds of temporary homes for those displaced. Reconstruction on Sumatra is expected to cost at least US$3.1 billion, said senior government officials.

Green groups said that deforestation linked to mining and logging exacerbated the impact of the floods.

Indonesia’s environment ministry has temporarily halted the operations of the companies accused of violations, and said that it will require them to perform environmental audits.

Prabowo on Monday said any company found in an audit to have violated the rules should have its permit revoked.

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Indonesia’s forest minister said earlier on Monday that the country will revoke 22 forest-use permits, covering over one million hectares (ha).

The revoked permits included more than 100,000 ha in Sumatra, but the minister did not link the revocation directly to the floods.

Prabowo also said on Monday that the situation in Sumatra was under control, adding that foreign leaders had offered aid.

“I said, thanks for your concern, we can handle it,” he said. REUTERS