President Jokowi Inaugurates Tukul Dam in East Java
On Sunday (14/02), President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inaugurated Tukul Dam in Pacitan Regency, East Java.
“Alhamdulillah, Tukul Dam—which was constructed six years ago with a total budget of Rp916 billion—has been completed and ready to start operation this afternoon,” President Jokowi said in his remarks.
The Head of State further explained that there are 65 dams all over the country that have been constructed since six years ago, some of which have also been completed and inaugurated, namely Raknamo and Rotiklot Dams in East Nusa Tenggara, Tanju and Mila Dams in West Nusa Tenggara, Teritip Dam in East Kalimantan, Gondang Dam in Central Java, Sei Gong Dam in the Riau Islands, and Nipah Dam in East Java.
“Next week, we will inaugurate Napun Gete Dam in East Nusa Tenggara, Tapin Dam in South Kalimantan, and Sindang Heula Dam in Banten,” the President said.
President Jokowi added that Tukul Dam will play an important role in flood control, irrigation, and provision of raw water. With a capacity of 8.7 million cubic meters and raw water supply of 300 liters/second, the dam can irrigate 600 hectares of rice field. Thus, it is expected that the cropping index will also increase.
“I order the provincial and regency governments to make the best use of the dam so it can provide added value and increase regional agricultural production, provide benefits for the community, and facilitate the provision of clean water for the regions,” the President said.
For the record, Tukul Dam is one of the National Strategic Projects (PSN) in East Java and it is financed by the State Budget. Beside this dam, there are five other dams in the province that are included in the PSN namely Tugu and Bagong Dams in Trenggalek, Bendo Dam in Ponorogo, Gongseng Dam in Bojonegoro, and Semantok Dam in Nganjuk. (TGH/UN) (GWH/MMB)