Artificial rain to start soon

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar said yesterday that his department was intensifying the production of artificial rain in several drought-hit areas in Java and South Sulawesi.

Speaking to reporters after the ground-breaking ceremony at the PT Jiwasraya Building here, Radinal said the government had taken steps to hasten the coming of the rainy season.

The rains usually start in September or October.

"The acceleration of the artificial rain making will be combined with the preparation of dams to hold the rainwater generated through the cloud seeding," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Radinal said the making of artificial rain would also be conducted in other areas besides Java and South Sulawesi, although not to the same extent.

Many areas across the country have been hit by a long dry season this year, prompting 112,889 hectares of rice fields to go dry by early August.

Authorities have declared that harvests have failed in more than 5,870 hectares of rice fields.

This year's situation however is not as bad as in 1994 when 544,422 hectares of rice fields were hit by drought. Of these 161,144 hectares were declared failing to harvest.

Radinal shrugged off suggestions yesterday that the widespread drought was caused by poor water management.

"That's wrong, because the government always cares about this matter, and in fact we have succeeded in generally overcoming the problem," he said. (aan)