Mbay Dam Project in NTT Reaches 80% Completion, Set to Irrigate 6,240 Hectares of Farmland

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JAKARTA, investortrust.id — Construction of the Mbay Dam in Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has reached 80.69% as of late May 2025 and is on track for completion by December 2026, according to Indonesia’s Ministry of Public Works.

Designed to hold 52.89 million cubic meters of water, the dam will supply irrigation to 6,240 hectares of farmland in the Mbay Irrigation Area (DI Mbay), a critical step toward boosting agricultural productivity in one of the country’s driest regions.

“The dam is part of our effort to strengthen water resource infrastructure to support national food security,” said Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo in a written statement on Tuesday, June 3.

The Mbay Dam is being constructed alongside an integrated irrigation system to ensure long-term agricultural sustainability. “We all agree that water infrastructure is essential for achieving food self-sufficiency,” Dody added.

Large-Scale Investment for Multi-Purpose Infrastructure

The project, initiated in August 2021, is being managed by the Nusa Tenggara II River Basin Office (Balai Wilayah Sungai Nusa Tenggara II Kupang) under a contract worth Rp 1.62 trillion ($100 million). The work is divided into two packages: Package I is led by PT Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk and Bumi Indah through a joint operation, while Package II is handled by state-owned construction firm PT Brantas Abipraya.

The dam will serve three main irrigation zones: Mbay Kanan (3,835 hectares), Mbay Kiri (454 hectares), and a planned expansion area of 1,951 hectares in Mbay Kiri.

Beyond Irrigation: Drinking Water and Flood Mitigation

In addition to irrigation, Mbay Dam will provide 205 liters per second of raw water to residents of Nagekeo Regency and mitigate flooding from the Aesesa River by reducing flow volume by up to 498.85 cubic meters per second. The structure is expected to protect around 320 hectares of flood-prone land.

Located in Rendubutowe Village, South Aesesa District—roughly 30 kilometers from the Nagekeo capital—the project forms part of President Prabowo Subianto’s national strategic program to achieve food and water self-sufficiency.