Govt Orders Mass Draining of 241 Dams Ahead of La Nina
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23 November 2021 11:31 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono on Monday ordered the mass-draining of 241 dams across the country in preparation for the weather changes caused by La Nina, which arrives at the peak of Indonesia’s rainy season.
“There are 231 dams and 9 new ones. In total, water in 241 major dams will be drained to their lowest level,” said the Minister during his visit to the inauguration of the Karalloe Dam in South Sulawesi, on November 22, Antaranews reported.
Effects of La Nina in the form of extreme storms are forecasted to happen at the end of this year and early 2022. The mass-drainage is hoped to better accommodate the extreme water discharge in this rainy season and eventually help prevent regions from being inundated.
“To accommodate maximum rainfall and control floods,” he said. He also ordered for damaged embankments to be fixed.
The latest Karalloe Dam scheduled to be inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on November 23 is also set to be drained during its inauguration to its lowest capacity of 29 million meter cubic of water.
Read: 4 Dams in National Strategic Projects to Continue Construction amid Pandemic
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