Jokowi Inaugurates The Sindang Heula Banten Dam Which Can Be A Power Plant

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated the Sindang Heula Dam in Serang Regency, Banten. Jokowi asked the provincial government to use this dam as a power plant.

That way, the Banten Provincial Government and other related parties, will no longer depend on energy derived from fossils.

"This dam also functions as a power plant that can produce 0.40 megawatts. So that in the future this can also be utilized by Banten Province and we do not want to depend on fossil energy", Jokowi said when inaugurating the dam, as shown on the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat, Thursday, March 4.

Also, Jokowi said that this dam has various other benefits, such as irrigating 1,280 hectares of rice fields in Serang Regency, Banten. This is because this dam can accommodate water with a capacity of 9.3 million cubic meters.

Next, the Sindang Heula Dam also provides raw water for developing industrial areas such as Cilegon City and Serang Regency. Jokowi said that the raw water from this dam could reach 0.80 cubic meters per second and 0.40 cubic meters per second had begun to be used.

"Third, this dam is useful for flood control by reducing flooding by 50 cubic meters per second from the overflowing of the Ciujung and Cidurian rivers which often inundate Serang Regency and its surroundings", said Jokowi.

Another function of the dam that Jokowi mentioned is a means of conservation and tourism. He considered this dam could become a new tourist destination in Banten which could also attract residents from outside the province.

"If I see, it can also become a new tourist destination in Banten Province and attract from other provinces outside Banten", he said.

Jokowi advised that the dam, which has just been built since 2015, can be utilized as well as possible. Jokowi reminded the local government together with the community to always maintain the condition of the dam that was built at a cost of up to IDR 458 billion.

"I ask the local government and the community to maintain and make the best use of this dam to improve welfare", he concluded.