BADUNG, Bali — Badung’s Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) is preparing to dismantle a concrete access road believed to be covering an irrigation channel in Subak Munggu, Mengwi, as authorities move to restore agricultural access and protect water flows for local farmers.

The Badung Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) said the planned removal is intended to restore the function of the agricultural road, known as a Jalan Usaha Tani (JUT), and ensure that irrigation continues to serve surrounding farmland.

Badung Satpol PP chief I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara said Monday that the agency had agreed in principle to dismantle the structure, but officials would first verify the boundaries of the land involved.

“The priority is the interests of farmers, not a road built for someone else’s interests,” Suryanegara said, as quoted by local media.

The structure is part of an access route associated with several villa developments in the Subak Munggu area. Authorities suspect the development has covered an irrigation channel with concrete to create vehicle access.

However, Satpol PP said the exact land boundaries must first be established because the area involves both provincial government land and a JUT.

“We have to reconcile the boundaries first because there is land belonging to the Bali provincial government as well as the JUT,” Suryanegara said.

A joint team involving the Badung administration and the Bali provincial government is expected to inspect the site and verify the status of the land before enforcement is carried out.

The removal is also expected to address other changes to the agricultural area, including the position of a small shrine known as a palinggih dugul and sections of the JUT that have been affected by development.

The latest move comes amid wider scrutiny of development in Subak Munggu. Earlier this month, Badung Satpol PP summoned seven owners of buildings in the area after inspections found structures located within areas designated as Protected Agricultural Land (LSD) and Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B).

Local reports have also highlighted concerns over irrigation channels being covered to provide vehicle access. A report published earlier this month said an irrigation channel in the area had been covered for a stretch of around 250 metres, while Satpol PP had previously removed a shorter section of an irrigation channel that had been closed to create access.

Subak Munggu has long been identified by the Badung administration as an important agricultural area. In 2020, the local government said around 200 hectares in Munggu were included in sustainable agricultural land and stressed that residential development and access roads for housing should not be allowed in the protected farming area.

The planned dismantling therefore forms part of a broader effort to restore the function of agricultural infrastructure while authorities continue to verify land ownership, boundaries and the status of buildings in the area.