Ministry of PU Optimizes Tapin Dam in the Face of El Nino Threat

JAKARTA - Facing the threat of drought due to the El Nino phenomenon, the Ministry of Public Works (PU) not only maintains the availability of water in the Tapin Dam, Tapin Regency, South Kalimantan, but also regulates its use based on priority scale.

This arrangement is carried out so that the available water can still meet various needs, ranging from raw water and irrigation to industrial, electrical energy and tourism needs.

Minister PU Dody Hanggodo said that the optimization of dam operations and water resources infrastructure is part of the government's strategy in maintaining water availability during the dry season while supporting the food self-sufficiency target.

"The PU Ministry continues to optimize dam operations and water resources infrastructure so that the needs for raw water, irrigation and flood control are maintained. With optimal management, we ensure that the water supply for the community remains safe and sustainable," said Dody as quoted from a written statement, Monday, August 10.

The Tapin Dam, which is managed by the Kalimantan III River Basin Agency (BWS), currently has a storage volume of 35,957,287 cubic meters or about 68.12 percent of the normal water surface storage capacity.

In the midst of the threat of El Nino, the availability of water needs to be carefully managed. The manager implements an operating pattern by maintaining water availability in accordance with the Annual Operation Plan for Reservoirs or maintaining the water surface elevation at the normal operating limit.

With this pattern, the Tapin Dam not only serves as a water storage place, but also as an infrastructure that regulates when and for what needs the water is released.

In its utilization in the downstream area, there is a priority order that serves as a reference for the manager.

The need for raw water is placed as the first priority. After that, the use of water is directed for irrigation, industrial needs, electricity and tourism.

This arrangement is important when water supply is potentially affected by extreme weather conditions.

With the priority scale, water utilization can be adjusted to the most basic needs.

In addition, the Tapin Dam has the potential to provide raw water of 500 liters per second. This supply also helps maintain the maintenance discharge of the river.

Water management at the Tapin Dam also considers hydrological conditions periodically.

Water outflow release is adjusted dynamically by taking into account the inflow from the upstream area or inflow.

The manager also uses weather modeling from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).

By considering these data, the amount of water released can be adjusted to the conditions of water availability and needs in the downstream area.

The optimization of the Tapin Dam is also related to efforts to maintain environmental conditions around the downstream area.

Regular water discharge into river channels and irrigation canals helps reduce the height of the groundwater or water table in the surrounding area.

This step is also expected to help reduce the risk of secondary impacts in the form of forest and land fires (karhutla) during the dry season.

Thus, the management of the Tapin Dam water is not only directed to ensure the availability of water for rice fields, but also to maintain the continuity of river flow and environmental conditions.

The optimization of the Tapin Dam is part of the Ministry of PU's strategy to deal with extreme climate conditions while maintaining water availability to support agricultural sector productivity.