The Chinese-built Jatigede Dam in Indonesia's West Java province has become a brand-new icon in China-Indonesia infrastructural cooperation.
An aerial photo of the Chinese-built Jatigede Dam in Indonesia's West Java province [Photo provided by Power Construction Corporation of China]
Chinese enterprise helps Indonesia realize half century-long dream
The Cimanuk River, which runs from the south to the north in West Java, is widely known as the cradle and "mother river" of local people.
Over the past hundred years, the Cimanuk River has brought life and water to local people, as well as floods during monsoon seasons and drought during dry seasons.
Early in 1963, the Indonesian government made plans to build a dam to tame the Cimanuk River, but all in vain, due to funding and technical reasons.
In 2007, Chinese contractor Power Construction Corporation of China started to constructed of the Jatigede Dam. After eight years of hard work, the first phase of the Jatigede Dam was completed against all odds and started to function in August 2015.
At a height of 110 meters and length of 1,670 meters, the Jatigede Dam stretches across two mountains in West Java.
The Chinese-built dam project has earned great recognition from the Indonesian people and the International Commission on Large Dams.
Chinese-built dam creates a bright future for the Indonesian people
The completion of the Jatigede Dam has fundamentally promoted the economic development of West Java and delivered numerous benefits to local people.
Beben Nariespendi is chief of Kudajaya village, which sits near the Jatigede Dam. He said that the area was like a marginalized primitive jungle in the past and that it was hard for local farmers to grow rice because of insufficient water resources.
The construction of the Jatigede Dam has provided local residents with ample employment opportunities. Meanwhile, the Chinese construction workers have built new roads for the village and imparted such technical skills as digital mapping, metal manufacturing, machine operation and vehicle driving.
A local farmer builds a house nearby the Jatigede Dam. [Photo provided by Power Construction Corporation of China]
At present, many local farmers have built new houses and seen noticeable improvements to their living standards.
Additionally, the local government is making plans to build hotels, golf courses, waterfront parks and other facilities in a move to transform the Jatigede Dam and nearby areas into a popular tourist destination to facilitate the development of the tourism sector.
Local farmers said that with the burgeoning tourism industry, they are looking forward to bright prospects in their life.
Ever-lasting friendship between China and Indonesia
Chinese construction workers have forged a closer friendship with Indonesian people during the building of the Jatigede Dam. Local people often invited their Chinese friends to visit their homes on special occasions, such as New Year and other festivals, getting married or having children.
Zuryana, an Indonesian project supervisor of the Jatigede Dam, said that the arrival of the Chinese enterprise further bolstered their confidence in development and that Chinese builders have imparted technical skills and become role models through their professional and hardworking ethics.
A local farmer opens a store in a nearby area of the Jatigede Dam. [Photo provided by Power Construction Corporation of China]
Asep Tatang Rukmana, another Indonesian employee of the Jatigede Dam, said that many people around him have since found employment and that stores, supermarkets and restaurants have sprung up across his village since the commencement of the dam project.
Asep has often celebrated Indonesian and Chinese festivals together with his Chinese friends. He added that their friendship will prevail even after the Chinese construction workers move on to other projects.
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
