TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The program to develop 10,000 hectares of irrigation rice fields in Merauke, Papua began. "Merauke is a swamp area. So we develop a long storage to hold water so that it can be pumped for irrigation," said Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Hadimuljono Basuki.
The project is one form of infrastructure development for Papua and West Papua. The development of 10 thousand hectares of rice fields in Merauke is the work program of the Ministry of Agriculture expected to be completed later this year.
Basuki admitted, before the plan of developing 10 thousand hectares of rice fields in Merauke, the ministry has built long storage in transmigration settlements. With the 10 thousand hectares of new rice fields program in Merauke, long storage building will be directed to irrigate the future new rice fields.
In addition to building long storage, said Basuki, they will also connect the Trans Papua national road. Basuki targeted the connection to be completed in 2018. The total funds needed to connect the road along the 4,325 kilometers it as much as Rp 12.533 trillion.
The total road currently not connected is about 827 kilometers. “That is during the 2016-2018 period. But if you look at our annual budget now, you can [start developing],” Basuki said in a statement on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.
For next year, said Basuki, the government allocates Rp 6 trillion for Papua and Rp 4 trillion for West Papua. The money is not only for connecting Trans Papua, but also to build a number of bridges and other infrastructure.
KHAIRUL ANAM
