Govt to study reported famine

JAKARTA (JP): The Kutai administration in East Kalimantan promised yesterday to investigate reports that villagers were starving in Long Pahangai district after crop failure because of this year's extended dry season, Antara reported.

Regency spokesman Syafrudin said a team would be sent to the district, situated 300 kilometers west of Tenggarong, the capital of Kutai.

"We'll check whether the reports are true. If they are, the administration is ready to send food supplies to the famine- stricken area," he said.

According to the news agency, several residents reported that dozens of families had started to experience food shortages because of crop failure and had started eating cassavas.

The report said the lack of rain had caused the volume of water in rivers to drop by 70 percent.

The rivers are the main transportation in the East Kalimantan hinterland.

But H.A. Sofyan Alex, the head of the provincial agricultural official, doubted there was a famine.

"Even if there were really reports about starvation, may be they were just isolated cases affecting some residents," he said.

He said he doubted dozens of families were affected because of the Dayak tribe's resourcefulness and tradition of storing rice in both communal and individual rice barns. (09)