Government Predicts Drought Induced By El Nino

Jakarta (Antara Bali) -- The government has forecast that the drought most likely triggered by the El Nino phenomenon will last till November this year.

"Several precautionary measures have been taken in accordance with the conditions in regions likely to be affected by drought," Director General of Water Resources of the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry Mudjiadi said in a press statement here on Tuesday.

The ministry will check irrigation systems and impose water rationalization if necessary, he added.

Water from dams will be prioritized for drinking, irrigation and industries, Mudjiadi affirmed.

Till June 30, data revealed that five out of 16 dams were experiencing a deficit of water due to the extreme dry season.

The five dams were Keuliling in Aceh, Batutegi in Lampung, Saguling in West Java, Wonogiri in Central Java, and Bening in East Java.

Moreover, the ministry has provided 761 water pumps in 11 regions across the country.

The government has also deployed tank trucks and public hydrants to supply water to drought-hit areas.

In addition, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman pointed out that drought in the October 2013 to July 2014 period affected 159 thousand hectares of rice fields, which dried up, across the country.

However, from October 2014 to July 2015, only 57 thousand hectares were affected by drought. This indicates that the government succeeded in reducing the drought-hit rice field cover by 102 thousand hectares this year, he remarked. (WDY)