Reviewing The Mbay Dam, Jokowi Hopes To Increase Rice Production In Nagekeo NTT

President Jokowi (center) accompanied by PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono visited the Mbay Dam in Nagekeo Regency, NTT. (Photo: Doc. PUPR)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) accompanied by the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono reviewed the progress of the Mbay Dam construction in Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Tuesday, December 5.

President Jokowi requested that the construction of the Mbay Dam be optimized for its function of supplying irrigation water on agricultural land in Nagekeo Regency covering an area of 4,200 hectares and its potential for development of 1,900 hectares.

"We hope that with the completion of the Mbay Dam, rice production in Nagekeo Regency can increase by 250 percent," Jokowi said in a written statement, Wednesday, December 6.

Jokowi assessed that the construction of dams and massive irrigation was built so far in the context of the government's great strategy of achieving food security and national food sovereignty.

"The dam construction has entered the breakthrough stage of the evader tunnel with a construction progress of 27 percent," he said.

Meanwhile, PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said that the availability of water is the key to development in NTT which has lower rainfall than other areas.

"The construction of the dam must also be followed by the construction of an irrigation network. Thus, dams built using large costs can be useful because the water is confirmed to flow to farmers' fields," he said.

The construction of the Mbay Dam according to the contract has started in 2021 through 2 work packages with a contract value of Rp1.47 trillion. Package 1 was carried out by contractor PT Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk-Bumi Indah (KSO), while Package 2 was carried out by PT Brantas Abipraya.

The Mbay Dam was built by the Kupang Nusa Tenggara River Basin Center II, located in Rendubutowe Village, South Aesesa District, which is about 30 km from the city center of Nagekeo Regency.

This dam also has other benefits to support the raw water demand in Nagekeo by 205 liters per second and reduce the flood discharge of the Aesesa River by 283 cubic meters per second.

Later, the construction of the Mbay Dam will increase the number of water reservoirs in the form of dams built by the Ministry of PUPR in NTT Province.

The dam has an inundation area of 499.55 hectares sourced from the Aesesa River. With a capacity of 51.74 million cubic meters, the Mbay Dam is projected to develop and increase the Irrigation Area (DI) ofbay Kanan and Kiri to 6,100 hectares.