Kupang (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), along with his entourage, landed at the El Tari Kupang Airport, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), aboard the presidential aircraft on Monday at 12:14 a.m. local time.

President Jokowi is paying a visit to this island-based province to inaugurate the Rotiklot Dam in Belu District.

Rotiklot Dam can water 139 hectares of paddy fields and 500 hectares of other adjoining crop fields.

The dam can supply clean water to several hundred villagers of Ainiba, Fatuketi, and Motadik in Kakuluk Mesak Sub-district.

The dam is located some eight kilometers from Atambua City in Belu District. The dam that can hold 3.3 million cubic meters of water will be able to release 40 liters per second of clean water to Atambua City.

The dam was built in just 3.5 years as against the targeted four years outlined in the construction contract.

Construction of the dam was done by PT Nindya Karya (Persero) and PT Universal Suryaprima (KSO) under the consultative supervision of PT Indra Karya (Persero), PT Patria Jasa Nusaprakarsa, and PT Agra Pasca Rencana KSO. A total of Rp496.97 billion was required to build the dam, the funds for which were sourced from the 2015-2018 State Budget.

Rotiklot is one of the seven dams included in the Jokowi administration's priority program to be built in NTT. The dam is expected to become a new tourist site for people in Belu District and its adjoining areas.

Translator: Eliswan Azly
Editor: Gusti Nur Cahya Aryani
Copyright © ANTARA 2019