Gov’t to Inaugurate 3 New Dams, Build 9 More Dams This Year

Sindangheula Dam, in Serang, Banten. (Photo by: IST)

The Government is set to inaugurate three new dams and begin the construction of nine new dams this year.

“In 2019, as many as nine new dams (constructions) will be auctioned to meet the Government’s target,” Director General of Water Resources of Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing Hari Suprayogi said in Jakarta.

The nine dams to be built this year are Mbay dam (in East Nusa Tenggara province), Jenelata dam (in South Sulawesi province), Pelosika dam and Ameroro dam (in Southeast Sulawesi province), Jragung dam (in Central Java province), Riam Kiwa dam (in South Kalimantan province), Tiro dam (in Aceh Special Region), Budong-Budong dam (in West Sulawesi province), and Tiu Suntuk dam (in West Nusa Tenggara province ).

Hari added that three other dams are ready to be inaugurated and operated this year namely Sei Gong dam (in Batam City, Riau Islands), Sindangheula dam (in Serang, Banten province), and Passeloreng dam (in South Sulawesi province).

Sei Gong dam, which has a capacity of 11.8 million m3 and can irrigate an area of 246.8 Ha, will be a source of raw water with a capacity of 400 liters/second, while Sindangheula dam is a multifunctional dam that can irrigate an area of 1,000 hectare in Serang Regency and Serang City and is also expected to control floods in downstream areas and supplies raw water of 0.8 m3/second.

Meanwhile, Paselloreng dam (with capacity of 138 million m3) is ready to irrigate 7,000 hectares of land, supply raw water of 305 liters/second in Wajo regency, control floods from Gilireng River, function as a micro-hydro power plant with the capacity of of 2.5 MW, conserve water, become a freshwater fisheries area, and serve as a tourism site.

The Ministry, Hari added, will focus on completing the construction of these nine dams, adding that the construction of the other new dams will be carried out in stages, with 5 dams each year starting from 2021 to 2023.

“We will build (dams) in potential areas, including Baliem dam and Digul dam in Papua province, Matenggeng dam in Cilacap regency, and Lambakan dam in Paser Regency,” Hari said. (BKP Kementerian PUPR/ES)

Translated by : Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Edited by : Ridwan Ibadurrohman, M. Ersan Pamungkas