Lolak Dam in North Sulawesi Inaugurated, President: Food and Energy Focus of Next Government

President Jokowi inaugurated the Lolak Dam in North Sulawesi. Indonesia is considered to still lack dams.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Bendungan Lolak di Sulut Diresmikan, Presiden: Pangan dan Energi Fokus Pemerintahan Mendatang

BPMI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN/KRIS

President Joko Widodo visited the Lolak Dam and its facilities after inaugurating the dam, which was built at a cost of IDR 2.02 trillion, on Friday (23/2/2024). The dam, located in the Bolaang Mongondow Regency, is beneficial for irrigation, clean water supply, power generation, flood control, and tourism.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - President Joko Widodo hopes that the next government will focus on promoting food and energy productivity. Therefore, dams are considered one of the things that need to be added.

"In the future, water and energy issues will become a major problem if we don't prepare now, if we don't manage them starting from now," said President Joko Widodo in his speech at the inauguration of the Lolak Dam in Bolaang Mongondow Regency, North Sulawesi on Friday (23/2/2024)."

In a statement to journalists, the President also emphasized that the upcoming administration needs to focus on the management of water and energy. This is because food and energy will become contested by all countries.

The Lolak Dam is expected to not only be a local solution for addressing water scarcity and flood control, but also as a model for efficient water resource management. However, it is acknowledged that Indonesia still lacks many dams.

Also read: Damaging Water, Pumping Prosperity

BPMI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN/KRIS

President Joko Widodo visited the Lolak Dam and its facilities after inaugurating the dam that was constructed at a cost of Rp 2.02 trillion on Friday, February 23, 2024.

"We have around 4,400 rivers, but we only have 292 dams. For comparison, China has 98,000 dams and South Korea has approximately 20,000 dams," stated the President in his speech.

Minister of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of State-owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Governor of North Sulawesi Olly Dondokambey, and Acting Regent of Bolaang Mongondow Limi Mokodompit were also present at the event.

The Lolak Dam has been under construction since 2015 and is scheduled to be completed in 2023, with a budget of Rp 2.02 trillion. The Director General of Water Resources at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Bob Arthur Lombogia, explained to the President the various benefits of the Lolak Dam.

"One of them is a source of raw water for Lolak District of 500 liters per second. "To supply clean water, we have built the Lolak Dam, an intake and transmission pipe leading to the Lolak Water Treatment Plant, 10 kilometers long," he said.

Also read: NTT's Mbay Dam Expected to Double Rice Production

KEMENTERIAN PUPR

Lolak Dam in Bolaang Mongondow Regency

Water in the Lolak Dam can also be utilized for irrigation on a 2,200-hectare agricultural land. This irrigation will be channeled through two dams, namely, the Upper Lolak Dam with irrigation potential of 1,300 hectares and downstream, there is an existing dam, the Lolak Dam, with irrigation area of 900 hectares.

With this dam, added Bob, the Planting Index (IP) is only 120 percent. Now the Planting Index in the Bolaang Mongondow area can increase up to 250 percent.

The President, in a statement to journalists, also hopes that rice productivity in Bolaang Mongondow can increase. "The production should not only be for North Sulawesi. Here, there may be a surplus, so it can be brought to other provinces that still lack rice," he said.

The Lolak Dam also has another function, which is flood reduction. With the Lolak Dam, floods on the Trans-Sulawesi Road downstream of the dam can be controlled. "The Lolak Dam serves to reduce floods, approximately 29.42 percent or reduce about 209 hectares of areas that are usually flooded," said Bob.

BPMI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN/KRIS

President Joko Widodo officially inaugurated nine road sections that were improved through the Regional Road Inpres Program in North Sulawesi on Friday (23/2/2024).

As a hydroelectric power plant, the Lolak Dam has a potential energy of 2.43 MW. A micro-hydro power plant (PLTMH) has been prepared at the Lolak Dam.

Not only that, Lolak Dam will also become a new tourist destination in the Bolaang Mongondow area. The former mining area can be utilized as a productive fruit forest.

The President hopes that water resources in other areas in Indonesia can be managed as well as in the Lolak Dam. This will not only increase the availability of water and energy, but also ensure that Indonesia can face future challenges with better and more sustainable resources.

KEMENTERIAN PUPR

Attended by students from schools in Bolaang Mongondow Regency, President Joko Widodo inaugurated the Lolak Dam on Friday (February 23, 2024). This dam can irrigate agricultural land up to an area of 2,200 hectares.

When asked about the construction of the Sawangan Dam in North Sulawesi, the President stated that it is currently in the process of checking and designing. However, the Kuwil Kawangkoan Dam in North Minahasa which was inaugurated by President Jokowi on January 19, 2023, is considered to have significantly reduced floods in Manado City. Before the Kuwil Kawangkoan Dam was built, Manado was hit by annual floods. The Kuwil Kawangkoan Dam reduced floods by approximately 25 percent.

"Now, you know, the floods in Manado have decreased significantly since the Kuwil Dam was built. But we do need to add one more," he said.