The Government Is Sure That The Kawangkoan Kuwil Dam Is Able To Overcome Floods In Manado City

Photo: Antara

The Kungil Kawangkoan Dam is believed by the government to reduce flooding in Manado City by controlling the discharge of the Tondano River by closing its doors when heavy rains occur in the area.

"The function of Kuwil Dam is to hold water from Airmadidi, Lake Tondano and other upstream areas that occur in Manado City with a maximum rainfall intensity of 300 millimeters which is very large," said PUPR Ministry Spokesperson Endra S. Atmawidjaja, quoted by Antara, Sunday, January 29.

According to Endra, the hills in the Manado region also contribute to increasing the value of rainwater runoff above the ground level (run off) and being accommodated in the Tondano River which is located downstream of the Kuwil Dam.

The Kawangkoan Kuwil Dam was mainly built to reduce flooding in Manado City and its surroundings by 25 percent (146.6 m3/second) which is connected and is in the same system as the River and Lake Tondano.

Similarly, the Head of the Regional Research and Development Agency (Bapelitbangda) Manado Liny Tambajong said that the impact of flooding in Manado was able to be reduced by the existence of the Kuwil Dam.

According to him, the Kuwil Dam was able to reduce flooding from high rainfall intensity which caused water to overflow at the meeting of the Tondano River and Tikala River downstream.

"In addition, there was a blockage in the drainage channel of Manado City and the tributary of Tondano River," said Tambajong.

Tambajong added that the Sulawesi I River Basin Center (BWS) Disaster Task Force Team of the Ministry of PUPR had evacuated flood-affected residents using rubber boats and brought food assistance.

"The team also prepared heavy materials and equipment for emergency handling, and continued to observe the water level at the Kuwil Kawangkoan Dam," he added.

Based on data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), floods in Manado City 2023 inundated four sub-districts and 19 sub-districts, namely flooding due to one sub-district Bailang River discharge (3 sub-districts), flooding due to the Malawu River discharge one sub-district (5 sub-districts) and floods of the Tikala River two sub-districts (11 sub-districts).

The number of sub-districts affected is less when compared to the large floods that hit Manado City in 2014 before the Kuwil Kawangkoan Dam was built.

It was recorded that in 2014, the flood in Manado City occurred with a maximum rainfall of 160 mm or deep below extreme rainfall in 2023 of 300 mm, having inundated 2000 hectares (ha) in eight sub-districts and 36 sub-districts, while this year only 808 ha.

Rainfall with a maximum intensity of 300 mm at seven different observation posts hit parts of North Sulawesi, especially Manado City, from Friday, January 27 in the morning until 15.30 WITA.

The extreme rainfall has caused the overflow of the Mahawu River, Balaih River and Tikala River.

The Kawangkoan Kuwil Dam in Minahasa Regency was just inaugurated by President Jokowi on Thursday 19 January.