Sutami-Flores dam near collapse

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: The Sutami dam -- which irrigates 3,600 hectares of paddy fields in Ngada regency, Flores Island -- is collapsing due to poor maintenance, Antara reported on Tuesday.

Ngada Regent Johanes A. Aoh said in Bajawa that if heavy rains continued, then overflows from tributaries of the Aesesa River would inevitably break the dam.

Inaugurated in August 1975 and named after then minister of public works, Sutami, the dam did not have a maintenance budget and sustains an erosion problem.

"It's only a matter of time before the dam collapses," Aoh said. (swe)