SOME INDONESIAN REGIONS HIT BY DROUGHT, OTHERS BY FLOODS by Fardah

 Jakarta, Sept 23, 2017 (Antara) - Indonesia is prone to hydrometeorological disasters such as flooding in rainy season and wildfires or severe drought during dry season.

        This September is the peak of dry season, and several regions have experiences drought that has led to clean water shortage.

        In East Java Province, for instance, at least 169 villages have been hit by drought and scarcity of clean water supply this year.

        The worst dry season is yet to come by the end of Sept 2017, so that the impact could be more disastrous, Sudarmawan, head of the East Java disaster mitigation office stated.

        In East Nusa Tenggara, the provincial government has declared emergency status of drought as several regions have not had rains since Aug, and wells, rivers, and springs have dried up.

        In South Karawang near Pangkalan Sub-district, Karawang District, West Java, several springs have dried up during the current drought.

        "Not only springs but the rivers in our region have also dried up. The local inhabitants have been facing a shortage of clean water," Usep Supriatna, the Pangkalan sub-district head, noted in Kerawang on Sept 23.

        Eight villages have been hit by the drought, and some 10 thousand people have been affected over the last several weeks.

        "The BPBD (local disaster mitigation office) has provided clean water to our regions several times," he noted.

        According to data of Karawang's BPBD, the drought has affected 30 villages in the district, an increase from 25 villages last year.

        In response to the disaster, the central government has outlined precautionary measures to handle drought in some regions in Indonesia.

        "I have urged all ministers and related institutions, as well as governors, to evaluate the condition in the field and take necessary precautionary measures to handle the drought," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) noted, at the opening of a closed-door meeting to discuss drought countermeasures held at the Presidential Office in Jakarta, recently.

        The president admitted to having received a report from the Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), indicating that the drought that hit Indonesia in 2017 would not be as bad as that in 2015, when the El-Nino phenomenon occurred.

        "However, in some regions, no rains were received for more than 60 consecutive days or over two months. Parts of Java Island have borne witness to the peak of the drought season. According to the BMKG, most regions will receive rains by the end of Nov or Oct 2017," the president disclosed.

        Jokowi added that the government has prepared long- and short-term precautionary steps to tackle the drought.

        "With regard to short-term measures, I have ensured that clean water supply is available to people affected by the drought, and I want them to evaluate the irrigation system to supply water to farm lands in the affected areas," Jokowi added.

        As for the long-term measures, the government will utilize several dams and water reservoirs that have been built in the past two years to tackle drought.

        "I have urged them to keep food stocks ready in some regions to prevent scarcity of vital commodities and to maintain stability in food prices," the president noted.

        Meanwhile, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics agency (BMKG) has forecast that rainy season would begin in early Oct in several regions, but in others, it could be in November.

        However, while East Java, West Java, Central Java, and East Nusa Tenggara are still facing drought problem, and provinces like Aceh, West Sumatra, Gorontalo, North Sumatra, and West Kalimantan are being hit by flooding.

        Floods submerged hundreds of houses in four villages in Atinggola Sub-district, North Gorontalo District, Gorontalo Province, on Sept 23, following heavy downpours since the previous day.

        Floodwaters, reaching a height of up to a meter, inundated Monggupo Village and the towns of Jin, North Jin, and Pinontoyonga since 6 a.m. local time, Rahmat Patila of the local disaster mitigation office noted.

        The local authorities have deployed personnel to conduct evacuations and have set up a public kitchen to offer food to the flood victims.

        In West Kalimantan Province, floods submerged over 1 thousand homes in Serawai Sub-district, Sintang District, on Sept 19.

        The floodwaters reached a height of up to 1.7 meters, submerging homes and shops.

        In West Sumatra Province, floods had damaged 138 homes in Central Pakan Rabaa, Parik Gadang Diateh Sub-district, South Solok District, on Sept 15.

        Four villages, namely Bancah Anak Lolo, Lolo Atas, Batu Kulambai, and Batang Lolo were affected by the natural disaster.

        The floods affected 190 families, comprising of 571 people, who took refuge on higher ground.

        Numerous roads and several hectares of farming areas were also submerged by floodwaters. ***4***
(f001/INE/B003)
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 23-09-2017