To Overcome Recurring Floods in South Kalimantan, the Ministry of PU is Pushing for the Completion of the Riam Kiwa Dam

Minister PU Dody Hanggodo inspects flood locations in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan/DOK Ministry of PU 

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works (PU) will accelerate the completion of the Riam Kiwa Dam in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan (Kalsel), as one of the solutions to overcome repeated flooding in the area.

This was conveyed by Dody when reviewing the flood location in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan, Friday, January 9.

"We are accelerating the construction of the Riam Kiwa Dam, which is targeted to be able to reduce the potential annual flooding in Banjar Regency and Barito Kuala by around 70 percent," said Dody, quoted from a written statement, Saturday, January 10.

It is known that the Riam Kiwa Dam has the benefit of flood reduction in the Martapura River. The details, for a residential area of 2,736 hectares (ha), 14,999 ha of irrigated land, irrigation potential of 1,800 ha, raw water of 1,000 liters per second and potential for hydroelectric power plants.

The dam also has a storage volume of 69 million cubic meters with a dam height of 51 meters (m).

Previously, flooding hit Keramat Village, Sungai Tabuk District, Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan Province, not long ago. The flood was triggered by high rainfall reaching 95.8-135 millimeters per day and the Barito River tide.

This caused flooding in a number of areas in South Kalimantan, including Banjar Regency; Tapin; Tabalong; Balangan; North Hulu Sungai; Middle Hulu Sungai; South Hulu Sungai; Tanah Laut; and Banjarbaru City.

As a result, residential areas, rice fields, and a number of public facilities were also affected by the flood.

As part of the emergency response, the Kalimantan III River Basin Agency (BWS) of the Water Resources Directorate General of the Ministry of PU has deployed one excavator unit to carry out cleaning and normalization of river flow at the affected location.

The handling was carried out from the upstream to the downstream of the river to facilitate the flow of water and reduce puddles.

In addition, officers also cleaned the river flow from obstructive materials, such as garbage, water hyacinth and tree branches that exacerbated the flood during heavy rains.

"We are committed to continue accelerating the handling of infrastructure affected by floods by prioritizing the safety of the community, the restoration of regional connectivity, and the sustainability of logistics access as a support for the lives and economy of the people of South Kalimantan," he added.