Indonesia's Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo Promotes Keureuto Dam for Water Security

Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo said the Keureuto Dam in North Aceh is a key element of the ministry's strategy to maintain water availability during prolonged dry seasons and the El Niño phenomenon. The dam, with a storage capacity of 215.94 million m³ and a reservoir covering 896.39 ha, can irrigate 14,695 ha through a 75.94 km network, raising the planting index from 200 % to 300 % and enabling an average rice yield of 5.5 ton GKP per hectare. It also supplies raw water at 0.65 m³/s, reduces flood risk over 627 ha downstream, and has renewable‑energy potential of about 185.62 MW from hydro and floating solar installations. The dam was inaugurated by President Prabowo Subianto on 10 July 2026.

At the same time, Dody faces a series of allegations ranging from alleged private‑jet use and foreign trips to accusations of staff involvement in online gambling. Public‑policy analyst Trubus Rahardiansyah suggests the wave of negative reporting may be a retaliatory campaign by groups whose interests were affected by Dody's tighter oversight and staff rotations. The minister and the ministry have issued denials and clarifications, but no official investigation has confirmed the claims.