The Government Will Not Once Build A New Dam!

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Laily Rachev)

JAKARTA - The government will not build a new dam within 2023-2024. The government will focus on completing the construction of 61 dams and utilizing the dam that has been completed, to support the provision of drinking water.

"In 2023-2024, PUPR and the government will generally be very selective in building new infrastructure. Only those that are the President's orders, others we will complete, what we are implementing, and take advantage of what we have completed," said Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono when opening the Indonesia Water Forum 2022, at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, October 5.

Basuki said the government would increase the benefits of 61 dams that have been built and are being built to increase water capacity.

Utilization is carried out through the construction of the Drinking Water Supply System (SPAM), irrigation networks, installing turbines for electricity, and for flood control.

"This is an opportunity and support for Perpamsi (Indonesian Drinking Water Company Association) to utilize water storage at these dams," said the man who is familiarly called Mas Bas as quoted by Antara.

The construction of the dam has been part of an infrastructure program in the agricultural sector since President Jokowi took office.

29 dams have been completed and 32 dams are still under construction until 2022.

Similarly, Director General of Human Settlements of the Ministry of PUPR Diana Kusumastuti said that in the future the State Budget will prioritize the functionalization of drinking water assets so that there will be no construction of new dams in the next two years.

"The low coverage of drinking water services is not only a reflection of the low level of funding, but the management of the supply of drinking water that is less effective and efficient, including infrastructure that has been built but cannot be managed properly," he said.