Supporting Clean Water Needs, Regional SPAM Fort Kobema In Bengkulu Built

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) will build a Regional Drinking Water Supply System (SPAM) for Fort Kobema in Central Bengkulu, in order to anticipate an increase in clean water needs in line with development developments in the province.

"With the existence of toll roads in Bengkulu Province, we are sure that it will be more open, especially if they are connected to Indralaya and Muara Enim. So, this Regional SPAM is intended to anticipate Bengkulu's future development with better clean water services," said PUPR Ministry Spokesperson Endra S. Atmawidjaja in a written statement received by VOI, Thursday, July 20.

Endra said that the Ministry of PUPR had completed the construction of the Kobema Dam in Central Bengkulu Regency which would be used as an intake for the Regional Drinking Water Supply System (SPAM) for Fort Kobema (Central Bengkulu-City Bengkulu-Seluma).

SPAM Kobema is planned to be built from 2023 to 2024 with a capacity of 400 liters/second to meet the needs of the community in Central Bengkulu Regency, Bengkulu City, to Seluma Regency.

According to Endra, the Ministry of PUPR will build an Air Processing Installation (IPA) and a main distribution network pipe with a length of about 27 kilometers (km) to Bengkulu City.

"The construction of phase I has been programmed by the Bengkulu Regional Settlement Infrastructure Center (BPPW) of the Ministry of PUPR with a budget of Rp. 400 billion to serve 38 thousand House Connections (SR)," he said.

Meanwhile, Head of the Sumatra VIII River Basin Center (BBWS) Palembang Maman Noprayamin said, because the Kobema Dam is upstream of the Musi River, its construction and maintenance are still the scope of BBWS Sumatra VIII Palembang duties.

"The construction of dams and transmission pipes along 22 km has been carried out from 2015 to 2020. The current problem is that there is sedimentation in the upstream part, for that we propose that a check and dam be built so that there is a continence of water supply, as well as a reforestation program to protect the river catchment area," he said.

On the same occasion, the Head of BPPW Bengkulu Dendy Kurniadi said that the construction of the Kobema SPAM involved the local government with the MOU which was signed in 2017 between the central government and the provincial government, as well as three districts/cities.

"Provinces will help build a main distribution network from Sebako to Seluma, then the SR will be carried out by each district/city," he added.