Rehabilitation Of The Gumbasa Irrigation Network In Sigi Rampung, People Can Harvest Up To Three Times

Gumbasa Irrigation Network In Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi Province. Photo: Doc. PUPR

JAKARTA - Rehabilitation of the Dam and Irrigation Network in the Gumbasa Irrigation Area (DI) with irrigation services covering an area of 8,180 hectares (ha) in Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) today.

The rehabilitation of the irrigation network has been completed by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) in the hope of restoring the agricultural sector, including the Gumbasa Irrigation Area in Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, post-tsunami and liquefaction in 2018.

The rehabilitation of the Irrigation Region (DI) in Gumbasa itself has started in 2016 and can be completed in its entirety by 2024.

The costs for the rehabilitation of DI Gumbasa reached Rp1.25 trillion which was used for the reconstruction of one dam, improvement of 35 km of primary channels, 52 km of secondary channels, 120 km of tertiary channels and 82 km of disposal channels.

Director General of Water Resources of the Ministry of PUPR Bob Arthur Lombgia said, with the completion of the Irrigation of Gumbusa rehabilitation, now 8894 ha rice fields can be planted three times since 2023.

"The increase in the planting index can be done because the Gumbasa Irrigation has a mainstay discharge of 33 cubic meters per second. Meanwhile, the discharge needed to irrigate 8,180 ha of rice fields is only about 13 cubic meters per second. So, water in this food area is very sufficient," said Bob in his official statement, Wednesday, March 27.

Meanwhile, a farmer in Gumbasa District, Sigi Regency, named Azhar, said that currently the water is very sufficient for farming.

"So, at this time we can grow three times and harvest. Previously we could only grow twice, namely one time we planted rice, one time we planted crops," he said.

For your information, DI Gumbasa is located in the Palu valley area which extends from the upstream leg of the Gumbasa River to the Kawatuna River in Palu City which serves five sub-districts in Sigi Regency and Palu City, namely Gumbasa, Tanambulava, Dolo, Sigi Biromaru and South Palu Districts.

IN Gumbasa, which was built in 1931, initially only in the form of free-intake with water supply from the Gumbasa River, then the Department of Public Works (PU) was built into a permanent dam in 1976.