Newly Built Dam Cracked
Friday, 05 May, 2006 | 16:10 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Banda Aceh: Completed one month ago, a dam has cracked for blocking sea water at the Ulee Lheu coast, Meuraxa District, Banda Aceh. As a result, some villages around the dam were immersed by sea water at high tide. These include Deah Baro and Deah Teungoh villages.

The dam was built by the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency of Aceh and Nias (BRR). The contractor was PT Piyeung Jasa Perkasa (PJP) at a cost of around four billion rupiah. The dam was located at the end of Ulee Lheu through to Alue Deah Tengoh village, 1.9 kilometers long.

According to Muhammad Abubakar, a Deah Baro resident, the dam bordering their village appeared to be done any old way. “There are about four spots that cracked badly,” he said yesterday.

He said that at high tide last month, sea water flooded the settlement which had been reoccupied. He is of the opinion that water entered through the bottom of the dam and permeated the fractured parts.

BRR spokesperson, Mirza Keumala, said the dam was still being maintained by the contractor and has not been transferred to BRR. “It’s still under their care for six months, and it hasn’t yet been transferred to BRR,” he said.

Mirza admitted he has received reports from the people regarding the dam since last week. After checking and finding defects, BRR immediately asked the contractor to be responsible to fix the cracks, demolish and/or repair it.

Adi Warsidi