West Java to go ahead with contentious dam<\/p>\n
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon, West Java<\/p>\n
Despite protests, the West Java provincial administration will go
\nahead with construction of a dam in Jatigede, Sumedang regency,
\nto irrigate farmland along the province's north coast.<\/p>\n
The project has sparked protest by residents of the area who
\nfeel they were unfairly compensated for the land that was
\nappropriated for the dam.<\/p>\n
West Java Governor Danny Setiawan said during a visit to
\nCirebon on Thursday that his administration would go ahead with
\nthe project because it was necessary for West Java to remain a
\nrice bowl in Java.<\/p>\n
\"The construction process will continue despite the increasing
\nprotests. The dam is important for a majority of the people in
\nthe province because it will irrigate large areas of farmland
\nalong the north coast, which has become a rice belt in Java,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Danny said he had established a special team to handle all
\nproblems related to the project in an effort to speed up the
\nconstruction.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that a small group of people in Sumedang
\nopposed the dam, but said a majority of the people were behind
\nthe project.<\/p>\n
\"We promise that we will handle the resettlement of 4,000
\nresidents from the construction site peacefully, and we will
\nprovide fair compensation for the about 6,000 hectares of land
\nneeded for the project,\" he said, adding that he had ordered the
\nSumedang regent to seek a fertile area near the project site to
\nresettle the affected residents.<\/p>\n
According to the provincial administration's plan, the project
\nwill be carried out next year under the coordination of the
\nMinistry of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructures Soenarno
\nsaid the central government had designed the dam and allocated Rp
\n600 billion (US$70.5 million) to finance the project. But, he
\nsaid, construction has been delayed for five years because of
\nprotests by locals and environmental organizations.<\/p>\n
The minister said the dam would irrigate farmland along the
\nnorth coast, as well as acting as a water reserve during the dry
\nseason and controlling flooding during the rainy season.<\/p>\n
He said would be able to hold 650 million cubic meters of
\nwater and irrigate about 90,000 hectares of farmland in the
\nregencies of Indramayu, Cirebon, Majalengka, Subang, Krawang and
\nSumedang, as well as in the regencies of Brebes and Tegal in the
\nneighboring Central Java province.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/west-java-to-go-ahead-with-contentious-dam-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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