Blackouts, Water Outages Spark Protests in North Sumatra

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Rotating blackouts that have plagued North Sumatra since last week have triggered a secondary crisis, forcing widespread water outages across the province. The Regional Drinking Water Company (PDAM) cited systemic disruptions caused by emergency maintenance on its main distribution network, which was severely damaged following sudden power outages.

Seven districts within Medan are the most affected areas by the water shortage: Delitua, Medan Amplas, Medan Kota, Medan Area, Medan Perjuangan, Medan Maimun, and parts of Percut Seituan. These neighborhoods fall under the jurisdiction of five PDAM Tirtanadi service branches, specifically Delitua, Medan Kota, Medan Denai, HM Yamin, and Tuasan.

Ardian Surbakti, the CEO of PDAM Tirtanadi Medan, announced via the official @tirtanadiprovsu account that repairs were scheduled to begin on Tuesday night, June 9, 2026, and would continue until completion. Consequently, water pressure in the affected zones will drop drastically or be cut off entirely.

"We sincerely apologize to the people of North Sumatra for this disruption in clean water services, which was caused by operational machinery failure following the blackouts," Ardian stated.

However, Sutrisno Pangaribuan, Deputy Chairperson for Politics of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) regional board in North Sumatra, dismissed the utility company's explanations as mere excuses. Due to the outages, thousands of consumers have been unable to bathe, wash, or use sanitation facilities, while water provided by temporary tanker trucks is barely enough to cover basic cooking needs.

"Blaming pump failure on power outages is just finding a scapegoat. The governor must step up because he appointed this incompetent board of directors and supervisory board. When will Bobby Nasution visit Tirtanadi the way he visited PLN? What compensation will he fight for on behalf of the business owners suffering financial losses?" Sutrisno questioned on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

He strongly urged North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution to immediately provide compensation to the thousands of affected PDAM consumers. "The lights are out, the water is out, and we demand compensation!" he declared.

Anticipating a wave of public complaints over the dry taps, Medan Mayor Rico Waas instructed the local Fire and Rescue Service to distribute clean water directly to residential neighborhoods. Five supply trucks were deployed to navigate the hard-hit areas, with one primary distribution point set up on DC Barito Street in the Polonia District of Medan.

"We expect all district officials to actively monitor and oversee the distribution of clean water. Ensure that every single resident in need receives their supply without exception," Rico ordered.

Wandro Abadi Agnellus Malau, Head of the Medan Fire and Rescue Service, added that 24 dedicated personnel had been deployed to manage the distribution operations. His team remains in constant communication with district offices to ensure the supply process remains effective and targeted.

"The moment we receive a report of a neighborhood facing a water shortage, we immediately dispatch our fleet to the location to handle the situation as quickly as possible," he said.

Despite these assurances, protests erupted when residents witnessed a Fire and Rescue Service tanker truck filling up the private residence of Benny Sinomba Siregar, the Head of the Medan City Library and Archives Department, who happens to be the uncle of North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution. Dozens of residents on STM Gang Suka Cita Street in Suka Maju Village, Medan Johor District, voiced their anger.

The protesters, mostly mothers, alleged blatant favoritism in the water distribution, noting that ordinary households had received no such assistance. "We have had no water since last night. Yet here is a Fire Department truck filling up an official's house while the public is left stranded," said Marni, a frustrated local resident.

Tensions escalated as neighbors demanded that city workers explain the criteria for clean water distribution and why a public official's home was given priority over the community. Confronted by the crowd, the tanker truck operators ultimately chose to drive away from the site.

Fadli, a local business owner on Utama Street in Medan, reported that his property had been completely without water from Tuesday night through Wednesday. The predicament was exacerbated by concurrent electricity failures. "Everything is completely down. It is useless to even call the customer center because the lines are entirely jammed, and I only wanted to ask where the clean water distribution point was located," he lamented.

In the areas neighboring Medan, including Binjai City and Deliserdang District, the dual burden of blackouts and water shortage has taken an identical toll on residents like Dinda. As a mother of two, she expressed deep frustration over her inability to work without power and the added financial burden of buying commercial refill water for daily survival. "It is no wonder people are demanding compensation; there are too many losses for the community," she said.

Read: Fact Check: Sumatra Blackout Not Linked to Nuclear Material Smuggling

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