Meninting Dam to supply water to 100,000 residents

During his visit to the dam, Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo explained that Meninting Dam is one of the five dams inaugurated simultaneously by President Prabowo Subianto on Friday.

The other four are Keureuto Dam and Rukoh Dam in Aceh, Sidan Dam in Bali, and Jlantah Dam in Central Java.

In addition to providing raw water, he added, Meninting Dam has a total storage capacity of around 10 million cubic meters. This capacity is utilized year-round to fulfill the irrigation needs of 1,500 hectares of rice fields across West Lombok and Mataram City.

The dam is equipped with an irrigation network spanning approximately 26 kilometers. Farmlands that previously relied solely on rainfall can now be planted up to three times a year, with productivity reaching 6.3 tons per hectare.

“We are continuously working on the irrigation networks to ensure that the water actually reaches the farmlands,” Dody remarked.

He further emphasized that the success of a dam’s construction is no longer measured simply by its physical completion, but by the tangible benefits directly felt by the community.

In terms of disaster mitigation, Meninting Dam also serves as a flood control system for Gunungsari, Lingsar, and Batu Layar sub-districts in West Lombok District, as well as Ampenan sub-district in Mataram City.

Standing 74 meters high with a crest length of 260 meters, the dam also holds potential for the development of hydroelectric power plants, floating solar power plants, tourism, and the local economy.

“Dams must provide maximum benefits for farmers and the wider community. The water must flow, the rice fields must be irrigated, and these benefits must be sustained,” Dody said.

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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Raka Adji