T

he East Manggarai Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) disclosed on Tuesday that 80 hectares of rice fields in the northern and eastern areas of the regency were threatened by crop failure.

The crop failure is a result of drought in the two regions. The drought has caused a decline in water levels in local rivers.

Rice fields in Pota, Sambirampas district, north of East Manggarai regency are also at risk of crop failure because of a dam collapse at Wae Mbaling.

“Crop failures in Padarambu and Waelengga, Kota Komba district, in the eastern part of East Manggarai are also caused by the low volume of the Waekoe and Waelengga rivers,” East Manggarai BPBD head Anton Dergong told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Dergong added that the BPBD had deployed staff members to districts in the north and east to see firsthand the conditions.

“The East Manggarai BPBD has recorded crop failures in the north and east of the regency. We’ve obtained the data and are coordinating with relevant agencies, such as the agriculture and plantation office and social services agency to seek solutions in providing assistance to farmers,” he said.