Filling of Batutegi dam continues

The Batutegi dam, located in Way Harong village, Tanggamus regency, Lampung, some 90 kilometers west of Bandarlampung, has been filled one-third of the way.

Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno officiated the start of the filling of the dam on Aug. 23.

No information is available as to when the dam will be full, but it is expected to be in full operation by June of next year.

The maximum amount of water the dam can hold will be 274 meters on normal days and 281.5 meters on rainy days.

"Construction of the dam started in 1983. Once the dam is full it will supply water to 66,573 hectares of rice fields during the rainy season," said Danaluddin, the head of the Lampung Water Resources Development office.

Before the dam was constructed, the existing irrigation system could only supply water to 54,283 hectares of rice fields.

The multipurpose dam will also generate power with an installed capacity of 28 megawatts.

Danaluddin said the dam would supply 2,250 liters of water to local state tap water company PDAM.

"The dam will also function as a flood control mechanism," he said.

The project cost about Rp 1.25 trillion, some of which came from soft loans from Japanese Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF). --Antara