Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia is accelerating the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 40,000 hectares of lightly and moderately damaged rice fields, irrigation networks, and watersheds following hydrometeorological disasters in Aceh.Approximately 53 percent of the first-phase target has been completed, with the remainder scheduled for completion within two months.The government has begun preparing for the second phase by involving local universities in Aceh to conduct surveys, investigations, and designs (SID). Academic involvement is expected to expedite technical documentation and prevent months of construction delays.”The Ministry of Agriculture is very enthusiastic, and the budget has already been prepared. Hopefully, this can be realized soon,” Aceh Regional Post for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force (PRR) Head Safrizal Zakaria Ali said in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday.These acceleration measures were discussed during a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Accelerating Post-Natural Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Aceh, held in Banda Aceh.Ali stated that the meeting followed up on a coordination meeting held two weeks earlier with university rectors in Aceh. Discussions focused on accelerating recovery across the agriculture, irrigation, and watershed sectors.”Today, we are meeting again to address a more specific topic regarding rehabilitation and reconstruction in the fields of agriculture, irrigation, and watersheds,” Ali said.The meeting included progress reports on planned and completed work alongside discussions on field obstacles.”This discussion is highly constructive in seeking solutions,” Ali remarked.The forum brought together ministries, local governments, security forces, universities, and regional leaders from affected areas to resolve ongoing challenges in field rehabilitation.Participants evaluated all recovery stages, from planning and execution progress to remaining field obstacles. Evaluation results indicate significant progress in rehabilitating lightly and moderately damaged rice fields.However, challenges remain regarding irrigation network restoration and securing water supplies for agricultural lands. Consequently, the government agreed to strengthen collaboration between farmer groups and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) to accelerate repairs tailored to local conditions.”Some work will be carried out by farmer groups, while other tasks will be done in cooperation with the TNI. These options will be selected based on conditions on the ground,” Ali said.TNI involvement also extends to constructing supporting infrastructure in flood-affected areas.According to Ali, the TNI is building various bridges, including suspension, pioneer, Bailey, and Armco structures, to restore public access.Meanwhile, local governments have been asked to promptly propose additional rehabilitation programs via the Presidential Instruction (Inpres) scheme. District and city governments can submit unmet development needs so projects can be executed alongside budgeted programs.”If there are projects not included in the rehabilitation and reconstruction plan, regional heads can propose them through the Inpres scheme, allowing them to be carried out concurrently with programs that already have funding,” Ali stated.For severely damaged rice fields, the government is evaluating remediation alternatives, including converting land into plantations for new commodities if rice cultivation is no longer technically feasible.Ali noted that such decisions require scientific assessment. The government plans to verify soil conditions through research to ensure replacement commodities suit the land and yield productive results.”Research is necessary to prevent failure due to a lack of analysis when switching to a new commodity. Everything is currently under review,” Ali said.Discussions focused heavily on Aceh Utara District, which contains approximately 4,900 hectares of severely damaged rice fields requiring immediate action.The government aims to finalize handling strategies promptly to prevent prolonged post-disaster recovery in the agricultural sector.