Govt Ready To Address Impact Of Drought

Jakarta, Sept 15 (Antara) - The government of Indonesia is making every effort to address the impact of drought in numerous regions across the country, according to Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono. "We will continue to coordinate with relevant institutions to address the impact of drought," the minister said in a press release here on Monday. Agung remarked that the government has mapped out sources of water for drought-hit areas and has cooperated with the Ministry of Agriculture to carry out the plan of action. The minister pointed out that of the total 4 million hectares of farmland, only 129 thousand hectares had been affected by drought, of which 9 thousand hectares had experienced harvest failure. He noted that during the dry season this year, drought had hit many provinces, including East and West Nusa Tenggra, North Sulawesi, East and Central Java, Yogyakarta, and North Sumatra. "Therefore, the government will improve the irrigation system, dams, and water sources in the drought-hit areas," he added.