Recent flash floods affecting the East Java town of Jember have badly damaged dams in three districts, which may leave up to 4,500 hectares of paddy fields short of water.
Farmers in these areas have thus been advised against planting rice seedlings during this planting season, and to plant dry crops instead.
“Information from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency [BKMG] shows that droughts will last from late April to early May,” Jember Irrigation and Public Works Agency chief Rasyid Zakaria said Monday in Jember, as quoted by kompas.com.
The recent flash floods caused major damage to six dams in Panti, Rambipuji and Arjasa districts in Jember.
“We can only fix two of the dams — Getuk Dam and Waru Dam in Cempaka village in Panti. After the repair work is finished and the two dams are functioning again, we'll be able to save 300 hectares of farming land from droughts,” Rasyid added.
(according to the Jak Pos)
di 22 maa 2011 - 23:37