Every day, residents of Leuwidinding Hamlet in Tanjungsari Village, Jampangtengah District, Sukabumi Regency, have to brave the Cimandiri River in an inflatable boat to go to work, open their shops, take their children to school, and go about their daily routines.
In the operator’s hands, a pair of oars and a safety rope are all that secure the journey to the other side. Ever since the Leuwidinding Suspension Bridge collapsed due to floods and landslides on December 28, 2025, this rubber boat has served as the vital link to Parakanlima and Sirnaresmi villages in Gunungguruh District. Every day, hundreds of locals depend on it to cross the 40-meter-wide river.
When the weather is clear, commutes go smoothly. However, whenever it rains upstream, anxiety sets in as the Cimandiri River’s currents can quickly turn violent.
Tanjungsari Village Head Dilah Habillah stated that the bridge collapse has disrupted daily life for residents across at least eight neighborhood units (RT). The bridge had long been the quickest route connecting several villages across the two districts.
“Taking a detour is possible, but it is a long way around via an alternative road through the PT SCG area. That is why most residents prefer crossing by boat to save time,” he explained recently.
Noticing how heavily locals still rely on this makeshift crossing, the Indonesian Navy’s Fleet Command, through its Territorial Agency (Dister), stepped in to provide extra aid. They deployed an additional inflatable boat fully equipped with two oars, six life jackets, an air pump, and other essential safety gear.
“We witnessed firsthand how heavily the broken bridge has impacted the community’s daily life. Consequently, leadership ordered the immediate dispatch of a rubber boat to assist residents with their daily commute until the bridge can be rebuilt,” said Lieutenant Colonel (P) Hendra Astawan, Head of the Resource Utilization Sub-agency at the Navy’s Territorial Agency, on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
According to Hendra, the boat will be rotated with the local disaster mitigation agency’s (BPBD) boat to prevent equipment wear and tear. It will be operated jointly by Navy personnel, village officials, volunteers, the local military command (Koramil), sector police (Polsek), and residents who have undergone water safety training.
Jampangtengah District Head Chaerul Ichwan expressed his gratitude for the assistance. He noted that plans to rebuild the bridge are underway, with a technical team from the Fleet Command and the Sukabumi Regency Government currently evaluating the site and drafting the structural design.
