JAKARTA - Minister of Public Works (PU) Dody Hanggodo instructed the acceleration of the construction of a tertiary channel to optimize the distribution of irrigation water to farmers, after the construction of the Tanah Air Irrigation Network (JIAT) infrastructure in Boyolali Regency, Central Java.
"We must save this water and manage it well. I ask that the tertiary network be built immediately, so that water is not wasted and can reach more rice fields efficiently," said Dody, quoted by Antara.
Dody directly reviewed JIAT in Ketintang Village, Boyolali Regency, Central Java. The review was carried out to ensure that the availability of water for agricultural land is maintained, especially in the midst of declining irrigation services from the Boyo Dam.
The existence of the Bendung Boyo owned by the Central Java Provincial Government, which previously irrigated hundreds of hectares of rice fields, is no longer functioning optimally. The service capacity, which previously reached around 700-800 hectares, decreased to less than 500 hectares, so farmers are very dependent on rainfall to grow crops.
Through the development of JIAT, the Ministry of PU presents an alternative groundwater-based water source to support the sustainability of agriculture, especially during the dry season.
Minister Dody emphasized that the existence of water sources needs to be accompanied by efficient distribution to agricultural land.
"God willing, our food security is safe. The important thing is that we prepare the water from now, we manage it well, and we make sure that the distribution is efficient," added Minister Dody.
JIAT in Ketintang Village is a groundwater-based irrigation system with a well depth of about 120 meters equipped with a pipe network and a pump house to drain water to farmland.
Technically, this JIAT in Boyolali has a service capacity of around 20 hectares, with a pipeline network of approximately 700 meters and eight water divider boxes.
With this system, farmers can use water more stably throughout the year and no longer depend on the rainy season.
In addition to the development of the tertiary network, the Ministry of PU will also consider other supporting infrastructure support such as farmers' roads to facilitate access to the distribution of agricultural products.
The PU Ministry continues to expand the development of JIAT in various regions as part of a strategy to deal with the potential of drought and maintain national food production through the provision of reliable and sustainable water infrastructure.
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