Prabowo inaugurates dam, farmers no longer face water shortages

The arrival of President Prabowo Subianto at the Meninting Dam area in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Friday was met with enthusiastic reception from the community as farmers no longer struggle with water shortages. Husnul Hakim, a farmer from Penimbung Village, revealed the significant change felt since the Meninting Dam began operating. According to him, the problem of water scarcity that had plagued farmers for years has now been resolved. ‘Previously, before Meninting existed, farmers would search for water from 8 p.m. until morning. But thank God, since the Meninting Dam was built, farmers no longer have to search for water. They just wait in their fields and everything is irrigated, thank God,’ said Husnul. Rusni, another farmer, added, ‘Before this dam existed, conditions were problematic because the subak groups of farmers would fight over water since it was dry. But God willing, thank God, going forward things will be much better regarding such issues. Farming will also run smoothly.’ Meanwhile, I Gede Darma Putra, a farmer from West Penimbung Village, stated that the Meninting Dam has become a crucial support for increasing agricultural productivity. He noted that whereas farmers previously could only plant twice a year, they can now increase their planting intensity to three times a year. The benefits of the dam are not limited to the agricultural sector; the community has also felt an economic impact. Hadiah, a resident of Bukittinggi Village, said the dam area has begun to present new business opportunities for local residents. ‘Local residents are utilising it for fishing to help cover household needs. Furthermore, the benefit is that the economy has progressed slightly compared to before. Why? Because of the influence of visiting residents and tourists who come or visit,’ said Hadiah. On this occasion, President Prabowo also inaugurated four other dams: Keureuto Dam and Rukoh Dam in Aceh Province, Jlantah Dam in Central Java Province, and Sidan Dam in Bali Province.