Good News From The Minister Of PUPR Basuki, Ladongi Dam Construction In Southeast Sulawesi To Be Completed By The End Of 2021

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing or PUPR through the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Water Resources targets the construction of the Ladongi Dam in Southeast Sulawesi to be completed by the end of 2021.

PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said that the potential for water in Indonesia is quite high at 2.7 trillion cubic meters per year. Of this volume, 691 billion cubic meters of water can be utilized per year, of which 222 billion cubic meters have been utilized per year for various purposes such as household needs, livestock, fisheries and irrigation.

"But the potential is that big, its existence is not suitable for space and time, so we need water reservoirs. That way during the rainy season the water is collected for use in the dry season. That's what dams and reservoirs are for water storage," said Minister Basuki. quoted from Antara, Tuesday 4 May.

The PUPR Ministry continues to add to the construction of new dams in a number of national food storage provinces to support national water and food security.

In Southeast Sulawesi, the PUPR Ministry through the Sulawesi River Basin Agency (BWSS) IV Kendari of the Directorate General (Ditjen) for Water Resources built three dams in Southeast Sulawesi. One of them is Ladongi Dam, which is located in East Kolaka Regency.

Ladongi Dam has a capacity of 45.9 million cubic meters and an inundation area and a green belt area of 246.13 hectares. The dam, which began construction in 2016, will be completed by the end of 2021 with a current progress of 90.1 percent.

This dam blocks the flow of the Ladongi River, which has not been optimally utilized. Later it will irrigate 3,604 hectares of rice fields with irrigation services in East Kolaka Regency, so it is hoped that the productivity of agricultural land will increase and the income of farmers is greater in one year.

Apart from being enjoyed by farmers, Ladongi Dam is also a source of raw water of 0.12 cubic meters per second, a generator of 1.3 MW of electricity, and reduces flooding by a volume of 132.25 cubic meters per second. Ladongi Dam is also potential to be used as a new tourist destination in East Kolaka Regency.

Kolaka Timur Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province, which was formed in 2013, is an expansion area of Kolaka Regency, located about 120 km west of the capital city of Southeast Sulawesi Province. Judging from the location of infrastructure and geography, Kolaka Timur Regency has a large irrigation area and the potential for watercourse in the Ladongi River which has not been optimally utilized.

The cost of building this dam comes from the multiyear State Budget (APBN) for 2016-2021 amounting to IDR865 billion for package I construction and IDR283 billion for package II.