Semarang starts building dam to control floods

SEMARANG: State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil officially launched the construction of the Jatibarang Dam project in Gunung Pati, Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday, kompas.com reported.

The project, together with another river-dredging project, aims to control floods in the western part of Semarang city. The construction will spread over more than 221 hectares of land to create a 1,100-square-meter lake.

A small-size hydro power generator, with a capacity of 1.5 megawatts, will also be built on the dam. The project is funded by a Japanese loan as part of the Semarang integrated water resources and flood management project. - JP