ADB provides aid for irrigation

MANADO, North Sulawesi: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided more than Rp 29 billion for the repair and maintenance of irrigation networks in the province for the 1998/1999 fiscal year, Antara reported on Wednesday.

The ADB funds will benefit irrigation networks in 60 sites in the regencies of Minahasa, Bolaang Mongondow and Gorontalo, irrigation official Bambang Hargono said.

Bambang said the project covers 32,337 hectares of rice fields and involves 32,292 farmers. The assistance will be provided until 2000.

The ADB will also provide assistance to poor villages in the province of Bengkulu for building facilities and infrastructure.

"An ADB team led by Lisa Kulp is now in Bengkulu to study the poor villages," said the head of the Directorate of Rural Community Development office for Bengkulu Bahrullah Abbas in Bengkulu on Tuesday.

According to the plan, the assistance will be realized in mid- 1999 and total Rp 80 million per village.

The assistance will be used to construct small-scale dams for the irrigation of up to 50 hectares of rice fields, access roads between villages and rice fields/plantations, the construction of simple piers and village markets.

Apart from five provinces in eastern Indonesia receiving ADB assistance, other provinces are North Bengkulu, South Bengkulu and Bengkulu municipality.