Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry has built a total of 949 retention basins over the last four years.

In 2018, the ministry built 103 retention basins, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said in a statement here on Tuesday.

This year, the ministry plans to construct 104 retention basins across Indonesia, bringing the total number of retention basins developed by the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration into 1,053, according to the minister.

The ministry developed retention basins because several regions still faced shortages of clean water, he added.

The retention basins have capacity ranging from one thousand to 500 thousand meters cubic with a depth below 15 meters.

Retention basins function to supply water for agriculture irrigation and clean water for the public, particularly in extreme dry season.

Jokowi has given special attention to the development of retention basins by issuing a presidential instruction No.1 year 2018 on the Acceleration for Retention Basin and Other Wet Pond Development in Rural Areas.

The president has assigned the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry to implement the development of retention basins and other wet ponds.

Reporting by Aji Cakti, fardah

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