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Two dams in Aceh inaugurated by Prabowo, capable of irrigating 26,889 hectares

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated two dams in Aceh, Indonesia: Rukoh and Keureuto.
  • These dams will irrigate a total of 26,889 hectares of agricultural land, bolstering food security.
  • The projects, part of a National Strategic Project, also provide raw water, flood control, and renewable energy potential.

President Prabowo Subianto has officially inaugurated two new dams in Aceh, Indonesia: the Rukoh Dam and the Keureuto Dam. These vital infrastructure projects are set to irrigate a combined total of 26,889 hectares of agricultural land, significantly strengthening food and water security in the province.

Aceh's Regional Secretary, M. Nasir, detailed that the total irrigation network from both dams spans 83.33 kilometers. The inauguration ceremony, held on Friday (July 10), also included the opening of three other dams in different provinces: Meninting in West Nusa Tenggara, Jlantah in Central Java, and Sidan in Bali.

The Keureuto Dam, located in North Aceh Regency, will serve 14,695 hectares with an irrigation network of 75.94 kilometers. It boasts a storage capacity of 215 million cubic meters of water. Beyond irrigation, it will supply 650 liters per second of raw water and help control flooding in a 627-hectare area. The dam also holds potential for a 6.34 MW hydropower plant and a 179 MW floating solar power plant.

Meanwhile, the Rukoh Dam in Pidie Regency will irrigate 12,194 hectares, supported by a 7.39-kilometer network. Its storage capacity is 128 million cubic meters. This dam will provide 900 liters per second of raw water to 20 sub-districts, manage floods in a 51-hectare area, and has potential for a 1.22 MW micro-hydro power plant and a 137 MW solar power plant.

Recognized as National Strategic Projects, the development of these dams involved substantial investment. The Keureuto Dam's construction began in 2015 with a contract value of Rp2.961 trillion, while the Rukoh Dam, started in 2018, had a contract value of Rp2.4 trillion. Nasir emphasized that the completion of these projects forms a crucial foundation for enhancing food, water, and energy resilience in Aceh, supporting national self-sufficiency in food production.

The optimization of both dams can support the national food self-sufficiency program through the cropping index.

— M. NasirExplaining the importance of the newly inaugurated dams for Aceh and national food security.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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