Sutami-Flores dam near collapse

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)