TRENGGALEK – The budget for the Bagong Dam project in Trenggalek, East Java, has increased sharply to Rp 2.7 trillion after years of delays and construction adjustments.
The national strategic project, located in Sumurup and Sengon villages in Bendungan District, initially required around Rp 2.1 trillion in funding. However, the cost has now risen by approximately Rp 600 billion following delays during the early phases of development.
Officials said land acquisition problems became one of the main factors behind the swelling budget. Construction activities could not run effectively for several years after the contract signing process.
Bagong Dam Commitment Making Officer Senna Ananggadipa Adhitama from the Brantas River Basin Agency, locally known as BBWS Brantas, confirmed the additional funding requirement.
“Initially the project required around Rp 2.1 trillion, but now there is an additional budget of around Rp 600 billion,” Senna said.
He explained that the government officially signed the construction contract in 2018. However, effective field work only started between 2021 and 2022 because unresolved land acquisition issues slowed progress on site.
“We signed the contract in 2018, but effective work only began in 2021 and 2022 because of land acquisition obstacles,” he explained.
According to Senna, the delay forced the government to revise several technical and operational plans. Authorities also accelerated construction phases to ensure the project could still meet its completion target in 2029.
The Bagong Dam project currently stands at around 60 percent completion. BBWS Brantas continues pushing contractors to speed up work on the main dam structure, embankments, and spillway facilities.
Senna said the government allocated around Rp 130 billion for construction work this year alone. Budget absorption has already reached roughly 80 percent, showing better progress compared with the previous year.
“This year we allocated around Rp 130 billion, and budget absorption has reached 80 percent. That is better than last year, which only reached around 60 percent,” he said.
Despite several obstacles during construction, officials insisted the project has not faced major technical failures. Some landslides occurred around the project area because of unstable colloidal soil conditions, but authorities said the incidents did not damage the dam’s core structure.
The remaining unresolved land acquisition process now stands at only around 2 percent. Officials therefore consider the preparation stage nearly complete and expect construction activity to move faster in the coming years.
Once finished, Bagong Dam will hold up to 17 million cubic meters of water. The reservoir area will cover around 200 hectares in southern Trenggalek.
The government expects the dam to strengthen water security and irrigation systems across southern East Java. Officials also believe the project will help support agricultural productivity during dry seasons and reduce water shortages in nearby areas.
Besides supporting farming activity, the dam could also help flood control efforts and provide long-term benefits for surrounding communities.
The Bagong Dam project forms part of Indonesia’s broader infrastructure development program aimed at improving food security and regional economic growth through large-scale water management projects.
Officials hope the additional budget allocation will help accelerate construction and keep the national strategic project on schedule.
“Hopefully the additional funding will maximize construction work and help the dam finish on schedule in 2029,” Senna said.