Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Sukodono Retention Basin, Gresik district, East Java province, could irrigate up to 2,233 hectares (ha) of land to support production at local horticultural food estates, the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry has informed.
“The provision of water facilities and infrastructure, one of which (will be realized) through the construction of reservoirs, aims to realize water and food security,” PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said while accompanying President Joko Widodo during his visit to the retention basin, according to a statement released here on Monday.
Furthermore, he asked that more trees be planted around the retention basin, especially since the infrastructure is located near a mango plantation.
Director of groundwater and raw water at the ministry’s Directorate General of Water Resources, Agus Rudyanto, informed that the retention basin has a pool area of 28.65 hectares and a total storage volume of 1.6 million cubic meters.
"The retention basin will be used to meet the needs of irrigation water for 2,233 ha of land," he said.
As much as 250 ha of the 2,233 ha-area will become a mango plantation, which will be managed by local private company PT Galasari, while the remaining area will be used by local farmers to plant other horticultural crops, he added.
"The Sukodono irrigation (system) is divided into three blocks, namely the left, middle, and right blocks,” he said.
The left block will irrigate about 900 ha of land. Currently, the Bengawan Solo Center for River Basin (BBWS) has been constructing the irrigation system for the block.
Head of Bengawan Solo BBWS, Maryadi Utama, said that in addition to irrigation, the facility will also be used to meet the demand for raw water of 30 liters per second in nine villages located in two sub-districts of the district.
"Currently, in 2022, the revitalization of the retention basin is being carried out for landslide mitigation, which is targeted to be completed by the end of 2022,” he informed.
In the future, according to the directive of the PUPR Minister, Bengawan Solo BBWS will cooperate with state-run water management company Perum Jasa Tirta to manage the provision of raw water. (*)
