Gov’t Completes 18 New Dams Since 2015
Rajui Dam in Aceh Province. Photo by: Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing.
In a bid to support the national water and food security program, Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing has built 18 new dams since 2015 to increase the volume of water reservoir in Indonesia.
“We need new water reservoirs. In the rainy season the water will be stored in dams and will be used in the dry season,” the website pu.go.id quoted Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono on Sunday (27/12).
The Minister said that the dam construction will be continued in 2020 to 2024 to meet the target of Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing for 2030, namely the ratio of water storage to population can reach 120 cubic meters per capita per year, higher than the current ratio of 50 cubic meters per capita per year.
Basuki also said that there are 15 dams completed in the 2015-2019 period. The dams have increased the storage volume by 1,106.04 million cubic meters and the water is used for agricultural irrigation covering an area of 109,790 hectares. The dams also provide 6.28 cubic meters raw water per second, flood reduction of 1,859.89 cubic meters per second, 113.42 megawatts energy, and tourism potential that will strengthen the local economy.
The 15 dams are Rajui and Payaseunara Dams in Aceh Province, Jatigede Dam in West Java Province, Titab Dam in Bali Province, Bajulmati and Nipah Dams in East Java Province, Teritip Dam in East Kalimantan Province, Raknamo and Rotiklot Dams in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Tanju and Mila Dams in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Logung and Gondang Dams in Central Java Province, Sei Gong Dam in Riau Islands Province, and Sindang Heula Dam in Banten Province.
This year, Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing through the Directorate General of Water Resources will finish the construction of three more dams, namely Napun Gete Dam in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Tukul Dam in East Java Province, and Tapin Dam in South Kalimantan Province.
With the completion of the three dams, the irrigation supply will increase to 116,162 hectares and raw water supply will reach 7.29 cubic meters per second.
The Minister went on to say that the management of water resources and irrigation through dam construction will be continued in order to support sustainable agricultural production.
The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing seeks to build 61 new dams to be completed gradually until 2024, so that it will increase the capacity of water reservoirs by 3,836.38 million cubic meters. (PR of Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing/UN) (RI/LW)
