"Water resources management and irrigation are needed for food security. Dams and irrigation networks are built at large costs. Therefore, we must ensure the quality of the work to be optimally used to irrigate farmers' rice fields," PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono stated in Jakarta on Thursday.
The Cipanas Dam is able to accommodate 550.81 million cubic meters of water for agricultural irrigation and a source of raw water in the Rebana area in the districts of Indramayu and Sumedang, he stated.
The dam, with a capacity 10 times larger than Kuningan Dam, is projected to increase the supply of agricultural irrigation water in Sumedang and Indramayu spanning an area of 9,273 hectares, especially in the Cipanas, Cikawung, and Cibunut Irrigation Areas (DI), Hadimuljono remarked.
He expressed hope that the irrigation water support from this dam would increase farmers' production, from earlier only applying the rain-fed method that only produces one harvest a year to two or three harvests with this dam.
With this large capacity, the Cipanas Dam is also expected to provide 850 liters per second of raw water for the Rebana industrial area and residential areas, including Kertajati Airport, he stated.
Currently, the dam has been plotted to support industrial areas in Sumedang District with 650 liters per second and the drinking water needs for the community in Terisi, Indramayu District, with 200 liters per second, the minister stated.
According to Hadimuljono, this dam has a pool area of 1,315.95 hectares that can also be used as a flood control water storage for the Indramayu area and its surroundings since it is able to reduce flooding by 487.75 cubic meters per second and has the potential to become a source of electricity generation reaching 3 MW.
Construction of Cipanas Dam was carried out during the 2016-2023 period by PT. Wijaya Karya-PT. Jaya Construction (KSO), with focus on building the dam body and PT. Brantas Abipraya for the development of supporting infrastructure.
A budget of Rp2.03 trillion from the state budget was spent for constructing this dam, Hadimuljono stated.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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