President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated the Bintang Bano Dam in West Sumbawa District, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Friday.

“The Bintang Bano Dam is the 29th dam we have inaugurated since 2015. Insya Allah (God willing), by the end of 2024, we can complete the construction of 57 dams across Indonesia,” Jokowi noted here.

The head of state had earlier inspected the dam aboard a wooden boat of the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry.

According to Jokowi, the dam is crucial infrastructure for supporting Indonesia’s food resilience.

“Food resilience and food sovereignty can only be achieved if water is available in all provinces. The key is water and we can have water if we have as many dams as we can,” he remarked.

The construction of Bintang Bano Dam, worth Rp1.44 trillion, was started in 2015.

“The dam is one of the six dams built in West Nusa Tenggara. Two other dams that we have inaugurated are the Tanju and Mila dams in 2018,” Jokowi noted.

The dams are expected to secure raw water supply and support food resilience in the province.

“This is especially important in dry areas in West Nusa Tenggara Province. Bintang Bano Dam has a vast capacity of 76 million cubic meters, covering an area of 256 hectares, and is capable of irrigating 6,700 hectares of paddy fields,” the president remarked.

The dam was built in two stages, with the first stage conducted during the period from 2015 to 2019, and costing Rp996.7 billion.

The second stage was conducted during the 2020-2021 period, with a construction budget of Rp441.4 billion.

Bintang Bano Dam is one of the 61 dams designated as one of the National Strategic Projects. Five other dams in the province are also included on the list of the country’s strategic projects.

During the event, Jokowi was accompanied by State Secretary Minister Pratikno, PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, NTB Governor Zulkieflimansyah, Chief of IX/Udayana Military Command Maj. Gen Maruli Simanjuntak, and NTB Police Chief Insp. Gen Djoko Poerwanto.

Source: Antara News