JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) is expanding the irrigation network and increasing the capacity of the canal in Air Lakitan Irrigation Area in Musi Rawas Regency, South Sumatra. The area of DI Air Lakitan will increase by 2,590 hectares to meet 9,697 hectares of service area.
The construction was carried out by the Ministry of PUPR through the Sumatra River Basin VIII Directorate General of Water Resources with a 2016-2019 multi-year budget of Rp 291.42 billion with a contractor PT. Waskita Karya and PT. Citra Mandiri Abadi JO.The scope of work includes the construction of a primary canal of 3.5 km, the development of a secondary canal of 25 km and a tertiary canal of 17 Km.
In addition, an increase in the channel which was previously in the form of a land channel into concrete is a 5 km long primary channel and a 12.7 km secondary channel. Construction of 30 buildings for Sadap, 10 Waterfall Buildings, 3 Talang, 100 DC & IC buildings and 68 other complementary buildings are underway.
"Progress as of August 6, 2019 has reached 96.6%, or higher than the plan of 92.8%. The expansion aims to provide adequate infrastructure and irrigation facilities so that it can irrigate the entire irrigation area and meet the irrigation water needs. It is expected that farmers 'welfare will increase with the increase in the Farmers' Index from 100% to 179%, with the Paddy-Paddy pattern," explained Head of BBWS VIII Birendrajana in a release. (LM)