Nganjuk, E java (ANTARA) - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has said that in addition to serving as an irrigation source for the agricultural sector, Semantok dam can reduce the risk of flooding in Nganjuk District.
"The establishment and operation of Semantok dam will really help us in reducing the flooding in East Java province, especially in Nganjuk district," she noted after the inauguration of the dam here on Tuesday.
In addition, it is expected that the dam will support the implementation of water conservation and the development of the tourism sector in the region. "It significantly strengthens the water infrastructure in East Java Province," the governor said.
She also said she hoped that Semantok dam will boost agricultural productivity and improve the welfare of farmers in the surrounding areas. “Hopefully, the farmers in Nganjuk District will feel the benefits of the establishment of the dam. Certainly, I hope agricultural production will increase due to the operation of this dam," she added.
Semantok dam was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Tuesday, making it the 30th dam to be inaugurated by the government. On the occasion, the president and First Lady Iriana Jokowi also planted date palms in the dam area.
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The construction of the dam was started in December 2017 by the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry and cost Rp2.5 trillion (US$159.2 million). The dam, which has a capacity of 32.6 million cubic meters with a pond area of 365 hectares, is equipped with an irrigation network capable of irrigating 1,900 hectares of rice fields.
The dam is projected to provide 312 liters per second of raw water in 2024 for 61,644 residents of the Rejoso, Nganjuk, and Gondang Sub-districts in Nganjuk district. In addition, the dam can reduce flooding by up to 137 cubic meters per second in the downstream areas of Semantok River. It has been estimated that the operation of the dam will reduce flooding by up to 63 percent.
