REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUPANG -- President Joko Widodo is scheduled to conduct the groundbreaking for the Rotiklot dam development project in West Timor during his visit to the region on December 20 and 28.
The event is very important as the Rotiklot dam will be the third-largest after Tilong and Raknamo dams in the district of Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, and the largest in the districts of Belu and Malaka," Frans Lebu Raya, the governor of East Nusa Tenggara province, remarked here on Wednesday.
"Currently, the technical team is still finalizing the agenda of the head of state in connection with the groundbreaking event, including the location for the ceremony," he noted.
The construction of the dam, worth Rp450 billion, will be completed in three years using funds from the national budget.
"The cornerstone will be laid this year to mark the start of the construction work and will be completed in 2017 to serve the needs of the people," he explained.
Besides flood control, the dam is also designed for meeting electricity needs, agriculture, and tourism, he stated.
"Once the dam is built, the people must utilize it optimally to improve their welfare," he noted.
The East Nusa Tenggara provincial government has proposed the development of six dams to overcome the water shortage problem in the region and to deal with the El Nino weather phenomenon.
"The six dams, include Kolhua in Kupang city, Raknamo in Kupang district, Rotiklot in Belu district, Temef in Timor Tengah Selatan, Napunggete in Sikka, and Lambo in Nagekeo," Andre Koreh, the head of the province's public works service, stated at a separate occasion.
He said the projects have already been included in the plan of the ministry of public works, and so, they will be realized in stages based on the availability of the budget.
He pointed out that the region requires around 1.5 million cubic meters of water to meet the needs of the people during the dry season, although water supply is abundant during the rainy season, and hence, the dams are needed.
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