Cloud seeding expected to end drought<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Cloud seeding being planned by the government is expected to
\novercome the devastating drought on Java, a governor has said.<\/p>\n
Following a request from the governors of Central Java and
\nWest Java to delay cloud seeding in their jurisdictions, East
\nJava Governor Imam Utomo said his administration was in dire need
\nof the project to relieve drought conditions in at least 15
\nregencies.<\/p>\n
\"The East Java administration has coordinated with the central
\ngovernment to undertake cloud seeding as this year's dry season
\nwill last longer and likely affect the rice harvest here,\" he
\nsaid in Surabaya on Monday.<\/p>\n
He said Central Java and West Java were given top priority in
\nthe cloud seeding program because drought conditions in the two
\nprovinces were worse than in East Java.<\/p>\n
\"We hope cloud seeding in Central Java will be able to raise
\nthe water level of the Gajah Mungkur reservoir in Wonogiri and
\nthe Bengawan Solo river,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"If the water level of the Bengawan Solo river increases, it
\nwill also affect the irrigation systems in East Java,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Head of the East Java agriculture office M. Maksum said
\ndrought conditions were prevailing in the regencies of Lamongan,
\nNgawi, Jombang, Bojonegoro, Mojokerto, Magetan, Sumenep,
\nTulungagung, Trenggalek, Gresik, Tuban, Jember, Madiun, Ponorogo
\nand Bondowoso.<\/p>\n
Some of the regencies have access to the Bengawan Solo river.<\/p>\n
About 6,000 hectares of farmland, mostly rice fields, have
\nbeen affected, with production dropping to between 25 percent and
\n50 percent, Maksum said, adding that the prolonged drought could
\nthreaten this year's harvest target of 5.7 million tons.<\/p>\n
In another bid to tackle the water crisis in East Java,
\nCentral Java and West Java, the local provincial administrations
\nwill continue to provide water pumps to farmers and other
\ncommunity members in need.<\/p>\n
In Central Java, the drought has severely affected the
\nsouthern parts of the province, where about 90,000 hectares of
\nfarmland and thousands of wells have dried up, forcing tens of
\nthousands of locals to suffer the effects of a clean water
\nshortage.<\/p>\n
Among the worst-hit towns are Kebumen, Banyumas, Purbaelingga
\nand Cilacap. Thousands of farmers there have not had a harvest.<\/p>\n
\"We should have been harvesting our crops by now, but because
\nof the lack of water, all our plants died,\" Abu Khoiri, a
\n47-year-old farmer in Kedung Pring village, Banyumas, told The
\nJakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said that under normal circumstances one hectare of
\nfarmland produced three tons of rice, but so far it has yielded
\nonly 100 kilograms.<\/p>\n
\"We badly need water pumps to get water from the river, but
\nthere are no funds (for this),\" Khoiri added.<\/p>\n
The Banyumas administration, meanwhile, received a donation of
\n27 water pumps from the Japanese government to be distributed
\namong farmers.<\/p>\n
\"We need at least 35 water pumps. However, this assistance
\nwill significantly help meet the demand,\" the head of the
\nprovince's agriculture office, Joko Wikanto told the Post on
\nTuesday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cloud-seeding-expected-to-end-drought-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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