Government Increases Budget for Bagong Dam by Rp600 Billion

Trenggalek, East Java (ANTARA) - The government has increased the budget allocation for the construction of the Bagong Dam in Trenggalek Regency by Rp600 billion, bringing the total value of the national strategic project (PSN) to around Rp2.7 trillion, up from the previous Rp2.1 trillion. The Commitment Making Official (PPK) for the Bagong Dam, Senna Ananggadipa Adhitama, stated that the additional budget is necessary to expedite the completion of the project, which has been underway since 2021. “The total previously was around Rp2.1 trillion, then there was an addition of approximately Rp600 billion,” he said. He assured that the dam construction continues, with the current physical progress reaching about 60%. The government is also opening opportunities to accelerate completion from the initial 2029 target if budget and technical support allow. According to him, the current focus of work is on the main dam structure (main dam) and the spillway. To date, budget absorption from the initial allocation has reached about 80%. Senna explained that the main challenges in the project occurred in the early stages, particularly related to land acquisition, which delayed work since the contract was signed in 2018 and only became effective in 2021–2022. “For the land now, only about 2% remains, mainly village-owned land and waqf land that are still in process,” he said. In addition to land factors, previous budget limitations also affected the pace of construction. However, he emphasised that there are no significant technical obstacles, including landslides that occurred in certain areas. “The landslides are due to the soil characteristics, but they are not the main obstacle because they do not impact the main dam structure,” he said. The Bagong Dam is designed to have a storage capacity of around 17 million cubic metres with a reservoir area of 200 hectares. This infrastructure is expected to support water resilience and agriculture in the Trenggalek region and surrounding areas. With the additional budget, the government targets the completion of the Bagong Dam to be faster and provide optimal benefits to the community.