Support Food Self-Sufficiency, Dody Hanggodo Speeds Up Settlement Of 61 Dams Until 2026

PU Minister Dody Hanggodo (Photo: screenshot)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works (PU) continues to accelerate the completion of 61 dams until 2026. Currently, 47 dams have been built.

PU Minister Dody Hanggodo said efforts to accelerate the completion of the 61 dams were carried out to support President Prabowo Subianto's Astacita, especially in achieving food self-sufficiency. According to him, the dam is one of the main backbones of food self-sufficiency.

"From the Ministry of Public Works, the basis for supporting food self-sufficiency is dams. So far, 47 dams have been built. In the coming year, we will continue with a total of 61 dams until 2026," said Dody in a written statement, quoted Monday, December 16.

In addition, said Dody, his party will also continue to normalize the irrigation network, either primary or secondary. Because, according to him, several primary and secondary irrigation networks owned by RI had existed from the Dutch era, so they needed rehabilitation.

"Hopefully, we will continue to run 2025-2026, so that IP will increase. And in the end, food self-sufficiency can be realized in the shortest possible time," he said.

It is known, on Saturday, December 14, Minister Dody conducted a review of the rehabilitation of the improvement and modernization of the secondary canal irrigation network jengkol, kolan, Nakmandi and Besis located in Subang, West Java.

He said the rehabilitation of the improvement and modernization of jengkol's secondary irrigation network, cobaltment, manifold and cleaning, including efforts to intensify agriculture with water supply from the Jatiluhur Dam.

"We are working on rehabilitation from 2023 to 2024. The total irrigation area is 12.574 hectares with a channel length that we have rehabilitated is 42.536 meters, out of the total we have to rehabilitate about 87.274 meters. The rest, we will continue the following year," he said.

According to Dody, the rehabilitation of irrigation networks is important for equal distribution of water for farmers from upstream to downstream. Moreover, before being rehabilitated, farmers in downstream areas have difficulty getting water during the dry season.

"We are rehabilitating rice fields at the far end of the river. Although only about 50 percent have been rehabilitated due to limited time. However, the Plantation Index (IP) can increase from 179 percent to 210 percent, and can also increase the planting area of 3,898 hectares," explained Dody.

"Then, the yield also increased from 5-6 tons per hectare to 6-7 tons per hectare. However, the most important thing is actually the social effects of the community," he continued.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Citarum River Basin Center (BBWS) Mochammad Dian Alma'ruf said that the rehabilitation of the improvement and modernization of the secondary irrigation network of jengkol, kolkolan, baimandi and Selesai was carried out from March 2023 to December 2024.

"Rehabilitation along the 42.5 kilometer irrigation network is able to irrigate an area of 12.574 hectares in 4 sub-districts and 18 villages in Subang Regency, namely Ciasem, Patokbeusi, Blanakan and Pabuaran sub-districts. It is hoped that with this rehabilitation, the water supply will be maintained for every planting period," he added.