Support Food Security, Temef Garapan Dam Waskita Karya Inaugurated By President Ready To Aliri Land 4,500 Hectares

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo inaugurated the Temef Dam built by PT Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk in South Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Tuesday, October 1. The largest dam in NTT is believed to be able to irrigate an irrigation area of 4,500 hectares (ha).

President Joko Widodo stated that water is the key to prosperity in NTT. The existence of water, he continued, has enormous benefits for farmers to plant rice, corn, and cassava.

"Without water, don't imagine that our province of NTT will prosper and prosper. Therefore, within 10 years the government has built four dams in NTT, one Rotiklot Dam, two Raknamo Dams, three Napun Gete Dams, and now the Temef Dam in South Central Timor," he explained when giving a speech at the inauguration of the Temef Dam in South Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Wednesday, October 2.

He continued, the dam, which has been built since 2017, is very large because it has an inundation area of 297 hectares (ha) and can accommodate water up to 45 million cubic meters (m3). The Temef Dam, he continued, was also able to reduce flooding in South Central Timor Regency and Malacca Regency.

"This Temef Dam was built at a cost of IDR 2.7 trillion or billions to IDR 2,700 billion. This is for the people of NTT," said Jokowi.

He also confirmed that in January next year the water at the Temef Dam will be fully filled or 100 percent filled. Meanwhile, currently only about 20 percent filled.

Waskita Karya Director Muhammad Hanugroho added, during Waskita Karya's 63 years of long experience, the company has built 30 water resource infrastructure projects consisting of dams, irrigation, flood control, and coastal safety. Among them are the Temef Dam, which is one of the National Strategic Projects (PSN) of 83 PSN built by Waskita.

He explained that the location of the dam includes three villages in two sub-districts, namely Oenino Village with Pane Utara Village, Oenino District, and Konbaki Village, Polen District. The presence of the Temef Dam, he continued, will provide benefits for irrigation covering an area of 4,500 ha consisting of the Haekto and DI Irrigation Areas in Malacca, as well as support food barns in the area.

The dam construction is accompanied by irrigation modernization methods, through the development of innovation and irrigation management that rely on water supply from dams. This also increases the productivity of the agricultural sector in the region," said the man who is familiarly called Oho on the same occasion.

He continued, the benefits of dams are not only limited to increasing national water and food security. But also as a development of tourism areas.

"Of course this can help the local government and the state in increasing local economic growth. The opportunity of the community as local MSME business actors to increase their business is even greater," he explained.

He said the Temef Dam has the potential to become a Micro Power Plant (PLTM) of 2X1.0 Megawatt (Mw). Oho also said that the dam, which was built in 2017, could provide raw water with a discharge of 131 liters per second for Polen District, East Noemuti District in South Central Timor Regency, and Malacca Regency as many as 28 thousand families.

"As a Construction BUMN, Waskita Karya has a dual role as an Agent of Development and Value Creator through infrastructure projects that are built. This role can also have a significant impact on development for the nation and state," explained Oho.

For information, the construction of the Temef Dam is divided into four work packages. Package I was carried out by the Operational Cooperation (KSO) of PT Waskita-Banggunusa, then Package IV was worked on by KSO PT Waskita-Bahgia-Guntur. While Packages II and III were carried out by KSO PT Nindya-Bina Nusa Lestari.