Sleman farmers worry over water

Sleman farmers worry over water

YOGYAKARTA: Farmers in Sleman regency have expressed concern
that water sources will be overexploited by developers of
residential sites in nearby Yogyakarta.

Farmers of Ngaglik district said exploitation would disrupt
the supply of water there.

"Ever since many developers began to use the spring at the
foot of Mount Merapi we have worried that the water supply to
irrigate our fields will be exhausted," Sumarjono, 46, a farmer
of Wonocatur village said, as quoted by Antara on Saturday.

He said their concern stemmed from a similar experience in
nearby Besi village, where water had become scare. The supply was
believed to be channeled to city residential sites.

Sunarsono, 50, a developer in Sukoharjo village in Ngaglik,
also said there was less water there due to exploitation by city
developers.

To anticipate this, he said his company had tried to use water
from the Mataram stream to supply residents in the central and
southern part of Yogyakarta. The stream was initially planned to
irrigate rice fields.

He said the measure was taken because rice fields there had
already been converted into residential areas. (01)