Public Works Ministry deploys water pumps to tackle drought in Sarolangun farmland
The Ministry of Public Works (PU) has deployed water pumps to tackle drought on agricultural land in Sarolangun Regency, Jambi Province.
Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said water availability is a crucial foundation for sustaining development, particularly in the agricultural sector, which depends heavily on a reliable water supply.
“Quality water services are the backbone of economic, social and environmental development, especially for regions facing limited water resources and the impacts of climate change,” Dody said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The ministry, through the Jambi VI River Basin Agency (BWS Sumatera VI), moved swiftly to save community farmland affected by drought in Muara Limun village, Limun district, Sarolangun Regency, Jambi Province. The response involved channelling water from the Batang Asai River using irrigation pumps to rice fields experiencing water shortages.
With the water source located about 250 metres from the paddy fields, water from the Batang Asai River was pumped and channelled to meet the needs of rice crops threatened with harvest failure due to drought conditions.
Field inspection results showed that the flow and availability of water in the Batang Asai River remained sufficient to be used as an irrigation source through the pumping system. These conditions enabled the government to intervene quickly to maintain water availability on community farmland.
In its implementation, BWS Sumatera VI Jambi operated one irrigation water pump unit, equipped with one set of suction hoses and one set of discharge hoses. The pumping service covered approximately 5.10 hectares of paddy fields and provided direct benefits to around 15 farmers belonging to a farmer group in Muara Limun village.
Acting Head of BWS Sumatera VI Jambi Ferdinanto said the swift action represented the government’s presence in protecting farmland and maintaining farmer productivity amid drought conditions.
“We are optimising the water sources still available to save community farmland. Through pumping from the Batang Asai River, crop water needs can be met so that rice plants can continue to grow and the risk of harvest failure can be reduced,” he said.
No significant obstacles were encountered during the pumping and water distribution process. To maintain service continuity, an operational schedule for the pump is needed so that water use can be optimised and aligned with the needs of crops and farmers.
In addition to the emergency response, BWS Sumatera VI Jambi has prepared medium- and long-term measures to improve water resilience in the agricultural area. One of these is a proposal to construct a borehole as an alternative water source with a pumping system.
The construction of an alternative water source is considered important because the paddy fields in Muara Limun village still rely heavily on rainwater. The plan will be coordinated with the Sarolangun Regency Public Works Office so that drought management can be carried out more sustainably.
Through this swift action, the Public Works Ministry continues to strengthen water resilience while safeguarding national food security. Meeting the water needs of agricultural land is an important part of the government’s efforts to ensure farmers can continue to produce and prevent drought-affected paddy fields from suffering harvest failure.