Photo: The route built by PT Gelora Mandiri Membangun heads towards Nurul Hasan High in Sekely Village, South Halmahera, North Maluku Province
SOUTH HALMAHERA – Infrastructure recovery continues in South Halmahera following the 2019 earthquake (which struck the region with a magnitude of 7.2). Local companies are joining state efforts to speed up the process.
Impacts of the repair, especially on roads, are now being felt by Nurul Hasan High students in Sekely Village, South West Gane Subdistrict. A route to the school — spanning 500 m — has been opened by PT Gelora Mandiri Membangun (PT GMM), one of Tunas Sawa Erma Group’s oil palm plantation companies, using heavy equipment.
Before the revamp, this route got really muddy during the rainy season, and many had slipped while crossing, said local figure Aten Sahiba.
Improving road conditions, thus, becomes vital, the Sekely native added, as many children from neighboring villages are furthering their studies at Nurul Hasan.
“The road is now built, and everyone is grateful for the initiative. [We no longer worry] when there are delays in government projects, [because] the company can fill in for them,” Sahiba said.
Access roads to villages and other key facilities play a big role in South Halmaheran society, since land transport costs are often lower than water-based ones.
“To reach the village next door, we had to go by rowboat and then by foot. The whole trip was excruciatingly painful and taxing. Thank God that after the company came in, we can use motorbikes or cars to cross to Sekely,” said Zainulfuad, a Gane Dalam (Inner Gane) villager, who shared with us the state of his neighborhood.
PT GMM’s Corporate Social Contribution (CSC) programs focus on infrastructure development in order to drive socioeconomic recovery in the community and the government post-quake.
“Our leading program is public facility renovation, as in roads and places of worship,” said Mahdi Md Nur, PT GMM’s PR officer.
Following the roadwork, Gane Dalam residents can now meet and gather with their friends and relatives in Gane Luar (Outer Gane), Sekely, Yomen, Kurunga, and other villages with ease.
Road access holds the key to regional development. Without proper road infrastructure, gaps will form between regions and equitable development, made through goods and services distribution, will not be possible. (*)
Source : https://rri.co.id/
