Cianjur TPHP Office Mitigates Drought, Anticipates and Controls Impact
The Cianjur Regency Food Crops, Horticulture and Plantation Office (TPHP) in West Java has prioritised mitigation efforts to anticipate and control the impact of drought during the dry season. The current planting season, running from April to September, coincides with the peak of the dry spell, which is predicted to be quite extreme.
Plt. Head of the Cianjur TPHP Office, Wahyu Ginanjar, stated that information regarding climate developments had been disseminated to all levels since early April, following a circular from the Ministry of Agriculture and a prediction letter from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). “We have been open with information to all UPTDs and agricultural extension officers (PPL). In principle, we have mitigated to anticipate and control the impact of drought due to the dry season,” Wahyu said on Monday (20/7).
His office has received reports of drought impacting agricultural land, notably in Sindangsari Village, Ciranjang District. The TPHP Office immediately held a coordination meeting with the Citarum River Basin Centre (BBWS) and other relevant technical elements. The drought in Sindangsari is attributed to a drastic drop in water debit at the main Cisuru Dam. Under normal conditions, the Cihea Irrigation Area (DI) receives 7,000 litres per second, but this has now fallen to 3,400 litres per second. Wahyu noted that water supply is also hampered by competing uses for fisheries and settlements, as well as blockages in waterways caused by plastic waste.
To address this, the TPHP Office and stakeholders have implemented a water distribution schedule since 6 July 2026, prioritising downstream rice fields. They are also optimising the use of water pumps and adjusting planting schedules. “We have asked for the water rotation schedule to prioritise downstream areas. There are many sluice gates that have been locked according to the schedule but were damaged by irresponsible individuals,” Wahyu added, urging residents to help clear rubbish from secondary and tertiary irrigation channels.