Steps Have Been Taken To Avert Drought Disaster: Minister

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Public Works and Housing Ministry said it has taken a number of steps to avert damage by extreme dry season this year.

"We have continued intensive monitoring of water availability in reservoirs," Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said here on Tuesday.

The farmers have been told not to be wasteful in using water, the minister said, adding,"We told them how to use water efficiently."

As a short term step to cope with deficit in water supply, the ministry has distributed water pumps  in areas more vulnerable to  drought, he said.

Mobile water tanks , public hydrants are made available  and new wells are dug  and they were given  water pumps, he said.

"That is short term steps. In mid term steps we speed up development of 13 dams in 10 provinces this year," the minister said.

Earlier,  Director General of Water Resources Mudjiadi  said from intensive monitoring of 147 water reservoirs, the levels of water surface are normal in nine of 16 largest dams including Jatiluhur, Cirata, Sermo,  and  Sutami.

Water deficit was seen in five  other dams including  Keuliling, Batu Tegi, Saguling, Wonogiri and  Bening , and two dams -- Wadas Lintang and Sempor already dried up.

Mudjiadi said climate is not all to blame for the water shortage as farmers also failed to follow the right system of planting.

They should plant second crop between two seasons , but many farmers failed to follow the order by planting only rice  from season to  the following season, he said, adding such system is wasteful in water use.

Mudjiadi said the public works ministry has  been ready with 761 units of water pumps  in nine provinces -- West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Banten, West Java, Central Java, Southeast Sulawesi , West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara  and East Java.

The pumps have a pumping capacity of 10 to 30 liter per second  and 5 to 150 liter per second, he said.

 The public works ministry said  in some areas there has been no rain from May until July  such as in Java, South Sulawesi, South Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, Lampung, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said drought has hit 77 regencies in 12 provinces  and until July 111,000 hectares of rice field were without water .

 It said drought disaster might hit wider areas causing problem in irrigating 222,847  hectares of rice fields or a harvest loss of 1 million tons of rice. (WDY)