Public Works Ministry encourages irrigation development in East Java
This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Indonesia Infrastructure News Service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.
Investor Daily - Kementerian PU dorong pengembangan irigasi Jawa Timur
16 April 2025
Jakarta, ID – The Ministry of Public Works has reaffirmed the Central Government's commitment to supporting self-sufficiency targets through the development and rehabilitation of irrigation networks in East Java Province.
Minister of Public Works, Dody Hanggodo, stated that Presidential Instruction on the Acceleration of Development, Improvement, Rehabilitation, and Operation and Maintenance of Irrigation Networks provides a strong foundation to support regions in achieving food self-sufficiency.
"With this presidential instruction, we have a clear legal framework to intervene in regional irrigation networks, including tertiary channels. I urge the regents to immediately send official letters regarding their respective needs so we can process them promptly," said Minister Dody during his visit to meet with the Governor of East Java, as quoted on Tuesday (14/04/2025).
According to Minister Dody, irrigation infrastructure is one of the key elements to increase agricultural productivity, especially rice, which plays a crucial role in East Java's target of producing 12.6 million tonnes of dry harvested grain (GKP) in 2025.
Therefore, the Ministry of Public Works is ready to allocate a larger Special Allocation Fund (DAK), particularly for water resources that support agriculture. "We are ready to support through DAK," he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Governor of East Java, Khofifah, appreciated the quick response from Minister Dody and the Ministry of Public Works. She said that central support is crucial to achieving the grain production target. She explained that the people of East Java need concrete support for irrigation availability.
"We urgently need concrete support from the Ministry of Public Works, particularly in the form of DAK for water resources, to accelerate the rehabilitation of damaged irrigation networks and develop new channels needed by farmers," said Khofifah.
During the meeting, one of the areas needing good irrigation is Gresik Regency. Regent of Gresik, Fandi Akhmad Yani, highlighted the significant challenges due to the vast agricultural land in his area.
"Of the total 4,000 hectares of agricultural land in Bawean, 75 percent still rely on rainwater. We hope the Ministry of Public Works can quickly build permanent irrigation networks to stabilise food production," he said.
Besides Gresik, other areas needing irrigation and water supply include Malang. Regent of Malang, Sanusi, even requested assistance from the Ministry of Public Works to repair irrigation infrastructure damaged by natural disasters.
"Our agricultural production has significantly decreased because we can only harvest once a year. Many embankments and dams are damaged due to floods, requiring special attention from the Central Government," said Sanusi.
Previously, Minister Dody also received a visit from the Governor of Aceh, Muzakir Manaf, to discuss several development initiatives in Aceh and enhance coordination and collaboration in accelerating the implementation of the food self-sufficiency programme through the support of irrigation infrastructure from the Ministry of Public Works.
Minister Dody hopes that the Ministry of Public Works and the Aceh Provincial Government can continue to synergise in maximising the agricultural potential in Aceh Province to support President Prabowo Subianto's food self-sufficiency programme.
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