Drought continues in E. Nusa Tenggara<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang<\/p>\n
Citizens of Kupang regency, on the western half of Timor, are
\nfacing a serious water shortage and hundreds of hectares of crops
\nare under threat of destruction due to the prolonged severe
\ndrought in the regency.<\/p>\n
The first week of this month has been particularly difficult
\nfor those living in remote areas in the regency, some of whom
\nhave had to walk great distances in search of clean water.<\/p>\n
Telsi Viktoria, a housewife in Tunbaun village, Amarasi
\ndistrict, said that she has to walk 15 kilometers everyday to get
\nto drinking water sources in coastal areas.<\/p>\n
\"All of the water sources in this village are completely dry,
\nvillagers have to walk 15 kilometers to find water,\" she told The
\nJakarta Post here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Viktoria also said she might suffer millions of rupiah in
\nlosses if the rice she is currently growing is destroyed by the
\nprolonged drought.<\/p>\n
In the districts of Amarasi and West Kupang, food and
\nsecondary crops over vast areas are beginning to dry up,
\npotentially creating a massive food shortage in the near future.<\/p>\n
\"Because our livelihood depends on the sale of our crops, this
\ndrought has effectively slashed our income already,\" said
\nVictoria.<\/p>\n
Mathius Bulu Mila, a farmer in Oetmatnunu, West Kupang,
\nconcurred and said the severe drought has damaged many types of
\ncrops in the village.<\/p>\n
Yopie Latie, a resident of Oetete subdistrict, said most
\npeople living on the city's outskirts have to buy drinking water
\nbecause all the wells in their village have dried up.<\/p>\n
\"Privately-owned water trucks come to the village to supply
\nclean water everyday and the people here have no alternative but
\nto buy water from the private businessmen,\" he said, citing each
\ncontainer of water costs Rp 20,000.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Piet Djami Rebo, chief of the provincial settlement
\nand infrastructure office, said his office was surveying several
\nwater sources to make several large wells to help supply water to
\nsome of the worst-hit subdistricts.<\/p>\n
Deputy regent Frids Djubida said the local administration was
\nplanning to build 20 water reservoirs in the regency,
\nparticularly in agricultural areas.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drought-continues-in-e-nusa-tenggara-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}