The head of the ministry's Cimanuk Cisanggarung River Basin Center (BBWS), Dwi Agus Kuncoro, said in Sumedang on Saturday that the dam would be inaugurated in August 2023 by President Joko Widodo.
He mentioned that the impounding (water filling) process of the dam started on May 19 and is planned to be carried out throughout two rainy seasons.
Hence, the process is projected to be completed by the end of 2024 or at the latest, the beginning of 2025.
"Next year, we will work on obtaining the operational certification for the dam. Hopefully, the dam will become operational in late 2025," he noted.
Located in Cibuluh Village, Ujung Jaya Sub-district, Sumedang District, West Java Province, the Cipanas Dam has undergone construction over the past decade and is the third largest dam in Indonesia.
With an inundation area totaling 1,315 hectares and a total volume of 250 square meters, the dam will operate as a water reservoir that can control floods in the Indramayu District and its surrounding areas.
The dam is predicted to be capable of reducing flood discharge by 487.75 cubic meters per second and is expected to meet the water needs of 9,273 hectares of rice fields through irrigation canals.
It also has the potential to serve as a 3-megawatt micro-hydro power plant (PLTMH) and a tourist destination.
Wahyu Utomo, the head of the Committee for the Acceleration of Priority Infrastructure Development (KPPIP), expressed hope that the dam would provide benefits to the surrounding region.
"When the impounding process is complete, the dam will be able to irrigate more rice fields and become a raw water source for drinking water and industrial zones," he remarked.
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Translator: Imamatul Silfia, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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