Tondano lake to be excavated

MANADO, North Sulawesi: The central government is allocating Rp 20 billion ($8.7 million) in the 1996/1997 budget to correct the dropping water levels of the Tondano lake.

According the head of the Minahasa Planning Bureau (Bappeda), Hengky Toloh, the lake has dropped from about 50 meters in the 1930s to 16 meters in 1992.

As reported by Antara, restoring the lake will undergo three- phases: conservation, the management of the accumulated mud deposit and the excavation of the lake sediment.

The lake is an important part of life in the region since it supplies water to the Tanggari I hydro-powered electric station. (mds)