Currently, we are still seeking common ground.
Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA) - Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono affirmed that his side had taken several anticipatory measures to prevent drought during the approaching dry season.

"To overcome drought in the dry season, some precautionary measures have been taken, especially related to the water infrastructure," he stated in Central Lampung District, Lampung Province, on Friday evening.

Hadimuljono noted that the PUPR Ministry had prepared various water facilities and ensured that they ran properly.

"We have also built dams and filled them (with water) as well as drilled new wells or rehabilitated the old ones. All of these attempts have been conducted to prevent drought in the dry season," the minister remarked.

He expects that through such efforts, no shortage of water will be faced, and water supply will run smoothly.

His side has readied several water infrastructures in Lampung Province, such as the Batu Tegi Dam and Way Sekampung Dam, with a capacity of up to 68 million cubic meters, whose water is supplied to 55,373 irrigation areas.

Furthermore, the PUPR Ministry is currently building the Margatiga Dam that has the potential to irrigate 16,585 hectares of land in the province.

It will have a capacity of 42.31 million cubic meters, while water supply for the dam will be sourced from the Way Sekampung River.

Related news: Eight percent of Indonesian regions enter dry season: weather agency

Expert Staff of the PUPR Minister for Technology, Industry, and Environment Endra S. Atmawidjaja said that the dam was being constructed in East Lampung District.

However, the ministry is facing several obstacles in the development of Margatiga Dam, he pointed out.

He elaborated that his side and the local community had yet to agree on the amount of compensation for land acquisition for the development of water facilities.

“Currently, we are still seeking a common ground," Atmawidjaja, who concurrently serves as the ministry's spokesperson, noted.

He remarked that the utilization permit for the surrounding forest areas had not been issued completely, and it will be addressed in stages.

"We are carrying out mediation to solve these issues, so everything can run smoothly and improve the irrigation network in Lampung," he stated.

Earlier, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) stated that eight percent of Indonesia's regions had entered the dry season at the end of April 2023.

Related news: Collect rainwater before dry season arrives: BMKG

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Translator: Ruth Kanafi, Uyu Liman
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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