Rain-making operation shifts to Central Java<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Following the huge success in West Java, the
\ngovernment's cloud seeding operation has moved to Central Java,
\nwhere the severe dry spell has affected thousands of hectares of
\nrice fields.<\/p>\n
The Agency for the Research and Application of Technology,
\nworking with the Central Java Public Works Office, will be
\nspraying salt in various places in the province during the next
\ntwo weeks, the Ministry of Public Works said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The operation will first target the Serayu River in the
\nwestern part of the province where the impact of the dry spell on
\npaddies is most severe. The operation hopes to induce rain above
\nthe huge Kedungombo reservoir where the water level has fallen
\ndrastically.<\/p>\n
The government has reported that 500,000 hectares of rice
\nfields in Java and in West Nusa Tenggara are threatened because
\nof the unusually harsh dry spell this year.<\/p>\n
A total of 60,000 hectares of paddies have already been
\ncompletely written off.<\/p>\n
The hint of massive rice crop failures has prompted rice
\ntraders to hoard their stock, causing prices to rise in many
\nlarge cities in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Public Works officials said the government is hopeful that it
\ncan still salvage 200,000 of the 500,000 hectares now under
\nthreat by inducing rains in strategic locations.<\/p>\n
The cloud seeding operation in West Java has succeeded in
\ninducing rain in West Java and raised the water level of a number
\nof strategic rivers including the Ciasem, Cikawung, Ciherang,
\nCiseel and Cimuntur. The rain that poured over Jakarta last week
\nwas also attributed to the operation, when strong winds blew the
\nrain cloud over the Indonesian capital.<\/p>\n
Altogether, 14 showers were recorded during the two week
\noperation, according to the Public Works Ministry.<\/p>\n
Soeparmono, the Director General of Irrigation at the Ministry
\nof Public Works, said on Monday that farmers in West Java should
\nstart harvesting their rice now.<\/p>\n
The government will consider cloud seeding in West Java again
\nin September if it has not rained by then.<\/p>\n
Soeparmono said the operation is mainly to save ripe paddies.
\nThe young paddies come last.<\/p>\n
Besides inducing rain, the directorate is also operating three
\n\"balloon dams\" designed to conserve as much water as possible
\nduring dry season. The three dams are in the Solo and Demak
\nareas, both in Central Java, and in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
The directorate is currently finishing five other balloon
\ndams, three in the Madiun area and the other two in Ponorogo,
\nboth in East Java. The five dams are expected to start operating
\nin October.<\/p>\n
The Central Java operation will be launched from the Ahmad
\nYani airport in Semarang. Two propeller driven CASA NC 212-200
\nplanes will be used, each one making five rounds a day to spray
\nsalt into clouds. (emb\/rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rain-making-operation-shifts-to-central-java-1447893297",
"image": ""
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